Rain Drops
by Inuyasha4eva
Summary: The final battle is approaching and tensions are high. A certain Taiyoukai and Miko keep crossing paths. Their encounters strike a change in one another. Will these changes be enough to defeat Naraku? And will it be enough...for Love?
1. The Falling Rain

Tiny droplets pooled upon the leaves scattered across the forest floor. An earthy aroma arose in the air. The aroma spread as more droplets fell from the heavens. A placid feeling came with the graying clouds in the sky as angels cried their tears. Nothing seemed more peaceful than the sound of falling rain.

For a moment the serene silence stirred with the sound of crunching leaves, but it left just as quickly. A figure now sat against one of the many trees in the lush green forest. His head lay slightly bent as his gaze fell to the moistened ground. Eyes of deep amber gazed blankly as the rain continued to fall.

His face showed detachment as a thousand thoughts filtered through his mind. Some thoughts passed by as meaningless while others chose to slowly rot in his mind as he tried to find reasoning for them.

Everything seemed to stop in his mind as he felt a water droplet drip from the bridge of his nose. Then his mind began to function again, but only one thought came to his mind. Only one single thought swayed inside his logical being. _There's something about the rain, it washes everything away…_

After coming to this realization many more things became aware to him. His elf-like ears picked up the light murmur of the rains gentle descent to earth. Tiny water droplets glistened as they glided down to the tips of his silver silken hair.

A light breath passed through his lips, ever so subtly revealing the tips of glinting fangs. Suddenly his shoulders stiffened and he became alert of his surroundings. His sense of smell had been dulled by the rain, but he could still hear as well as he always could.

It started out low and hummed, and then it grew louder. An inconsistent drumming permeated the quiet forest. The rains constant pour dimmed the sound of the inconsistent beat, but it came clear to his elf-like ears.

As the light thumping continued it was stopped abruptly by a splash. Mud splattered onto his face and slowly slid down his striped cheeks as he glared at the figure before him. His nose scrunched up in distaste from the smell of salt and his ears pulsated from the muffled sobs of the crumpled figure.

The figure lay on the forest floor motionless, except for the sobs that shook her body. She lay there drenched from the pouring rain. Her ebony hair was scattered and tangled about her head in a matted down fashion. Soon the sobs came to a low murmur, and all that left her shaking was the clammy feeling of her skin on her scarcely clothed body.

As this scene went on before him, he could only watch in disconcerted fascination. Soon the sobs had silenced and once again all that could be heard was the sound of the falling rain. Thin muddy streams flowed down his face as the last of the mud washed away, and his eyes narrowed.

At first he had not recognized the seemingly pathetic creature in front of him, but after a quick sweep with his eyes over her form and he knew. Now he was annoyed. He was annoyed at the fact of whom it was and that he had been ignored by her thus far.

"Human…" he spoke icily before he could stop himself. He watched as her back became rigid as she came to realize she was not alone. The clouds poured down harder as she meekly lifted her head to peer at him.

A torrent storm swelled in cerulean orbs that sparkled by the tears collected in them, hair splashed over her shoulders like waves onto the shore, and a pang of forlorn washed over her heart-shaped face. Something in him froze at the sight of the pitiful being before him, and he was _lost_. He found himself lost in something he could not understand.

"You continue to ignore me, why is this?" his voice cut through the thick tension surrounding them. Tears mixed with rain as she continued to stare up at him with a vacant expression on her face. His patience was thinning as he took this time to stand up. As her eyes followed his movements her head lowered and she began to mumble.

"What did you say?" he asked a little forcefully as he strained his ears to hear her barely audible babble. As she lowered her head down a little lower she tried again to answer in a hushed whisper. Tiring of this quickly he swiped down his claws to grip the collar of her shirt.

"SPEAK!" he all but growled as he lifted her from the ground by the one hand he possessed. Inky black hair whipped into his face as cerulean eyes widened in utter terror. Her breaths came out ragged and chopped until finally she broke.

"**He doesn't love me!"** she wailed hoarsely as lightning crackled in the distance. His eyes narrowed as her wail ringed in his elfish ears. He released her collar and she tumbled to the ground. A sigh of relief came from her mouth as she lay there, but her relief was short lived as a hand took hold of her throat.

His ivory claws began to slowly dig into the tangible flesh caked in mud. Suddenly his grip loosened as he gazed down at her. The cerulean eyes from earlier now were a creamy gray and her expression was blank. He almost snarled if it were not in his manner not to do so. She was awaiting death and it disgusted him.

"The way you waste life sickens me…" he started in an icy voice, "You are given but one chance to live, yet you so willingly give it,"

Her face contorted as he spoke. She gritted together as some realization came to her. She began to thrash about as if trying to provoke him even more. Her hands slapped against the arm holding her. Then just as she lashed out, she huffed and slumped over giving up.

"No-one gets only once chance to live, and I'm proof of that. I am nothing but a remake of something greater, more powerful, and more beautiful. And he will never forget the one that lived before me…" she bit out harshly.

"You have confused yourself mortal. You as a person only live once. The soul within you will live on, but no-one stays the same. You are different from all those before you and those whom will come after you. The being you are lives a different destiny than any other. When a soul dies, it is merely born again. A soul is blank until you make something of it…" silver tresses swirled in the breeze as his sun-kissed eyes bore into her ending his speech.

Tiny tremors shook up his arm, but he continued to hold his ground. Tears spilled from her eyes again as she trembled. The words he spoke shook her in a way that was indescribable. She gnawed on her bottom lip as she tried to regain herself. Taking hold of the situation once more she faced him.

"Sesshomaru…" was whispered from her full lips as water continued to cascade down her face. He could see the bewilderment she held and it frustrated him more so than ever. She was beyond his patience.

"Yes, that is who I made myself to be. What form have you chosen for yourself, human? Other than Inuyasha's wench," he voiced. The warm heat of her anger bathed him and studied her curiously.

"You bastard, I am not his wench. I am his nothing. I told you he doesn't love me…" she spat in his face. The newly lit fire burning in her eyes dimmed as she was thrown into a nearby tree.

Red seeped into Sesshomaru's eyes as he glared at her. Ripping out her throat is just what that girl wanted and he wasn't so easily willing to give it. Taking a calming breath as the thunder roared on he turned his back to her.

"You are the saddest excuse for a human I've ever seen, and your kind is a sad excuse for existence already. If you are so happy to give up the life you were blessed with for lost love, then you should want to die with honor," he hissed as more lighting crackled in the darkening sky.

She was worse off than she had started in her journey of solitude. Drenched to the point where clothes were pointless, mud slathered all over her body, and bruises beginning to form across her body. Eyes slightly narrowed and mouth agape she breathed heavily as she stared at Sesshomaru's back.

His stride started out slow and steady as he made an escape from this… girl. His hair whipped in the wind as the rain picked up. Right as he reached the edge of the trees to where he was still visible to her, he stopped.

"To truly die for someone is to die fighting…" he proclaimed just loud enough for her to hear. One flash of silk was all she saw as he disappeared into the cover of the trees. She slowly sat up against the tree and continued to stare off into the direction he had gone.

The words he had spoken earlier seeped through the cracks and into her mind. It was like a haunting melody that played over and over. Taking a shaky breath she looked up towards the sky. The rain slowly washed away the mud from her face as she sat in silence. Looking to the trees where he had left her she let out a light whisper.

"I am Kagome Higurashi…"


	2. Thunder

'_Molten lava, shimmering gold, or rays of sunshine' she couldn't decide what his eyes reminded her of. All of those things seemed far too bright and warming to be any part of the man with such a cold heart. Yet, he wasn't even a man. He was a demon, and the things he had told her proved that she appeared to have a darker heart than his._

_ "I'm going to prove him wrong…" she muttered under her breath as she gazed at her reflection in the water. Sunlight seeped through the leaves to dot the watery depths of the hot spring. Her hair seemed silky from the tiny beads of water sticking to the ebony locks. Dipping her hands into the steamy water, she cupped them together bringing water up to her face. Then she opened her hands to let the water slip through her fingers as if it were __**the falling rain**__._

"_Did you say something, Kagome?" asked Sango looking anxiously towards the younger woman sitting besides her in the warming waters. A day after the 'incident' Kagome had joined up with the shard-hunting group once again. The week that had followed the 'incident' her companions had noticed a change in their friend._

"_No, I was just mumbling to myself…" Kagome answered back in a light voice Noticing her words were not comforting enough for the demon hunter she threw in a weak smile to calm her friend's frazzled nerves. Her smile faltered as her friend's face contorted into a serious expression._

_ Kagome sunk lower into the water as she realized where the conversation was heading. Everyone was growing more_ _somber as the weeks passed leading to what might be their last days. The battle ahead was unavoidable, yet it is the thing so many wish to escape from._

"_Time is thinning for us; we have no idea when he shall strike, and I fear not all of us will live to taste the victory we so rightfully deserve" Sango spoke in a low voice which was followed by a grim comment "I'm worried Kagome…"_

…

"**Kagome!**" barked a gruff voice not belonging to her loyal friend. Cerulean eyes fluttered as Kagome was taken out of her reverie. Looking up she met the angered face of her teacher. Sitting up straight from her slouched position she took notice of just where she was.

"I'm greatly sorry Sensei, I mean no disrespect. I think my current illness gave me a brief dizzy spell and distracted me," Kagome said as she gripped the pencil she had forgotten was in her hand. The teacher just sighed and began to walk towards the front of the classroom.

"Just don't let it happen again, Higurashi," the teacher grumbled as he made his way to the chalkboard. Some of the other students took this time to get in a light laugh before turning their heads back to the lesson.

'_No more lying and no more excuses'_ was a thought that swept through Kagome's mind. When _it_ was all over with she'd never have to make up ridiculous almost ludicrous excuses for her constant absence any longer. This led her mind to linger on another more depressing thought. There would be no more bother about crossing over in the well.

Hours passed at a slow, yet steady pace till the school bell rung shattering the silence of the room. Kagome let out a sigh as she gazed out the window of the classroom. Gray clouds were dotting the sky and she knew what lay ahead.

Her hands crept above the table top as she began to collect her things. In her shaky movements, for her mind was still off in a dreamland, supplies tipped over the desk and cracked against the floor. '_Thunder…'_

Kagome shook her head lightly at her own clumsiness. Kneeling towards the cold tile of the classroom she outstretched a petite hand, and soon another one fell onto hers. Gentle eyes gazed up to look into dull blue. Resisting the urge to sigh, Kagome let him pick up the fallen pencil case and place it in her hand.

"Thank-you…Hojo," Kagome greeted in a sleepy bored tone. She started to rise with one hand propped up on the desk for support, as she lifted herself up. Hojo just smiled and followed suite by popping up like a flower in the spring. Kagome patted down her school skirt to rid it of seemingly invisible dust as she returned a wavering smile back towards the poor clueless teen.

"No problem Higurashi. It's the least I could do for you since you've been incredibly more ill than usual. Would you like me to carry your books for you, so that the burden of the load won't injure your back?" asked Hojo.

Kagome at that moment couldn't decide whether to hit the innocent fool so he'll finally get it or feel sorry for him. She was confused as what to do as she stared into his boyish face, a boyish face that reminded her of another; the other boyish face which currently haunted her very being.

"I'm very sorry Hojo, but I must decline" Kagome answered before faking a cough into her hands, "I might get you sick and I could never forgive myself if I did. You understand right?"

Hojo merely nodded. Kagome watched him walk away from her and she released the sigh she had been holding. She had so many problems to take of already and then there was him. She seriously had no idea why after the time that had passed by in the few years she had yet to ward him off.

Her feet carried her out of the school building and into the autumn air. Multi-colored leaves of brown, red, and gold crunched under her feet as thoughts swirled in her head. She remembered all the times she had run off with some excuse or another she directed towards Hojo.

"Yes…when _this_ is finally all over there shall be no more excuses," Kagome muttered under her breath. The cool breeze finally caught up with her as she shivered from the cold. Her pace picked up as she began to run towards the subway station, but before she could reach her final destination familiar faces bounced up to say Hello.

"KAGOME!" Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi cheered in a more than chipper mood. They crowded around her as the rest of the subway station busily pushed pass them. Kagome seemed to curse her luck as she hung her head. In her mind this was getting old, fast!

"Hey guys…" she answered back tiredly. Why was just going to her home getting harder and harder? Kagome's eyes were half-lidded as her 'friends' dragged her away. They continued to talk amongst themselves as Kagome stayed along for the ride. Once the train's doors shut Kagome finally realized there was no chance of escape.

The car of the train they were in was relatively empty, which was very rare. That didn't seem to deter them however, for tiny push and shoves later the defenseless teen found herself sitting in a plastic red-padded seat

Kagome was starting to feel a little irritated at the pokes and prods she was receiving from her friends. Yet, she didn't have the time to do anything about it for she was interrupted in the middle of this thought process.

"So Kagome, How are you and your boyfriend holding up?" asked Ayumi with a care-free smile. A silence followed the question and the other teenage girls grew increasingly curious with every passing second. They huddled closer as their eyes bore through her.

"Kagome?"

…

It echoed in a constant drumming. It sounded like the beating and pulsing of a human heart. It went on in a ryhthematic pattern. Yet, all it was… was the pounding of hurried foot-steps.

She could not decide what world was better. She felt the need to avoid them both. The wind sprayed inky black hair over her shoulders as she stared up the hundreds of tiny steps she would need to climb if only to reach to her sanctuary.

A streak of blinding light shot across the sky; fine edged lines that made the role of the sky into a cracked mirror. Was it following her? Did it stalk her like a terrible plague? Perhaps her memories control the sky, for it was crying once again.

Streaming tears slid upon the surface of mother earth's cheeks, the girl had finished climbing the seemingly endless staircase to her sanctuary. She was getting closer to her safe-haven now. The rain began to pick up speed as it beat against her back.

A door, it was a door that faced her now. It reminded her somewhat of her very own heart, for when she opened it, nothing lay inside. Her hand reached for a light switch as the bulb flickered on. Her yellow back-pack slid off her arm to tumble to the ground as she shivered from the cool of the air-conditioner.

"I guess they went somewhere without me…" she muttered under her breath, and soon her feet carried her to a new set of stairs. The kitchen tiles felt extremely cold with each step she took for the socks she wore were thoroughly doused. She gazed back to the one-lit room and sighed before making her journey up another set of stairs.

Time ticked away as steam rose from the water of the bath. Her head was leaned back against the tile of the wall as her mind floated away. Lifting a hand from the water she studied it. Noticing it wouldn't be long before it was fully pruned, she made her way out of the tub.

She pulled a towel off the rack and dotted her face with it. Looking up her eyes fell upon the mirror in front of her. Dazzling blue eyes faced straight back at her, yet they were dull. Her lips bent into a sad looking smile as she wrapped the towel around her.

Kagome walked into her room as another wave of thunder shook the house. Her hand stretched out for the closet door as she slid it open. Her heart almost stopped as she saw a glimpse at the red pant-leg hanging there. The priestess outfit just seemed to hang there in all its infamous glory as the memories hit her.

…..

_He saw them. She knows he saw them, those vile creatures appearing to be the form of snakes slithering in the sky. They were un-natural in the way their bodies illuminated far brighter than the moon. It was not their bite you feared, but the thought of them stealing your soul. What's worse is that they lead him to 'her'._

_ "Go to her…" Kagome said in a melancholy voice. Inuyasha held a shocked look upon his face as his eyes shot to her. He was letting him go? Without complaining? She was letting him go? _

_ "Kagome, I…" Inuyasha tried to speak, but she stopped him. Those blue eyes holding so much emotion stopped him from letting any words leave his lips. His mouth was dry and his voice wouldn't come._

_ "You love her don't you?" Kagome asked as she leaned against a tree with raven tresses now framing her face. Inuyasha was stuck. He could say no, but then he'd be lying. He could say yes, but that could cause even greater trouble. He decided to say the only thing he could._

_ "I made a promise, and I have to keep it," Inuyasha said as he looked towards the soul seekers swimming through the trees. Kagome nodded her head as she stood up straight. Walking towards him she placed a hand on his shoulder._

_ "Then go to her if you must," Kagome barely whispered as she looked up to him. Inuyasha gazed her with a curious look. Sighing he nodded his head. He slowly removed her hand from his shoulder before making his way to where the soul seekers appeared to come from._

_ He looked back at Kagome just before disappearing into the trees and she watched him till she was sure he was gone. Breathing in deeply she turned herself in the opposite direction. Then she ran. She continued to run even as the rain began to fall…_

…_.._

Another flashed before her eyes as she blinked. She hadn't even realized she had been looking out the window. Her face felt hot and her eyes felt sore. Lifting a petite hand to her face she felt the moisture hit them. She tasted the bitter flavor of salt upon her lips. She had been crying.

Thunder shook the house again. Looking back at the priestess garb she began to laugh lightly. She laughed almost full heartedly in fact. Stifling her laughter she smiled. With one swoop the closet door closed with a click.

"I will prove you wrong…"


	3. Winds of Fate

An invisible force brushed against the forest floor scattering the leaves in its path. Torrent fury was being pressed onward with one simple mission. It carried an omen on its breath, and its words could shake the very ground. Pure silver locks fluttered as the winds of change hit him.

Golden eyes narrowed as they snapped to the sky '_as captivating as her eyes_'. A hiss barely escaped his person as his gaze fell back to his other companions. He continued to move foreword with great poise and dignity. Nothing could faze him. He was an unstoppable force. Yet, he could never stop the _rain_.

"We will keep moving till the sun touches the land…" he said in a deep baritone voice. An almost inaudible sigh escaped his lips as he continued to take smooth strives through the forest.

A young girl walked behind him with a smile gracing her lips. She wore a simple orange kimono and her hair took a style of its own. A tiny mass of hair was tied up towards the side of her head with a piece of thread, while the rest fell close to her shoulders.

Another companion stood not too far off. He scoffed at the young girl as his tiny steps took him closer to his lord. His complexion was green and he wore dark brown robes. He carried a staff at his side, which he would regularly threaten the young girl with.

Sesshomaru barely gave Jaken and Rin heed as he continued foreword. His blank expression never seemed to falter throughout their trek. His eyes would shift to the sky to check the time of day, but that was all. It was getting close to sunset, so they would be stopping fairly soon anyway.

Suddenly a light buzz came to his ear. It soon turned into a swooshing sound and he felt a familiar presence close by. Sesshomaru swept his clawed hand up to show his companions he wished for silence. He walked foreword and turned his head back.

"Stay here…" was all he stated before going off into a random direction in the trees. The wind from before continued to blow as Rin and Jaken watched Sesshomaru leave them once again.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru going, Jaken?" asked Rin in a curious voice as the wind played with her loose hair.

…

Another arrow was knocked as she aimed for her makeshift target. Cerulean eyes narrowed slightly before the arrow was released. She groaned again as the arrow was blown off its course again by the wind. A sigh escaped her lips as she went to retrieve her arrows.

Her inky black hair fluttered as the breeze caressed it with its invisible palm. The young miko crouched on the balls of her feet as she quickly picked up the fallen arrows. She slowly stood back up after placing the arrows into her quiver.

She began to walk back to where she had been shooting her bow, but stopped. She strained her ears to hear any sound at all. There were no sounds. The forest had grown eerily quiet. Her cerulean eyes widened at some realization as she quickly loaded her bow.

"There's no use hiding demon…" Kagome said as she drew back the arrow ready to shoot. Squinting her eyes slightly she aimed for the aura of the demon which lay beyond the trees. The aura felt familiar… A light shuffling was heard as Kagome continued to hold her ground.

"Unless you plan to ruin another pair of my armor, I suggest you put away your sad excuse of a weapon," said a silky smooth voice as a warm breath flowed past her ear. Completely startled that he had somehow got passed her without noticing, she released the arrow which careened into a nearby tree.

"Why are you here?" came out of Kagome's parted lips, barely above a whisper. The bow in her hand lowered to her side as she tilted her head away from him. Sesshomaru in his own mind was questioning his presence here as well. He walked forward and turned his eyes to hers.

"It seems the winds of fate have blown you towards my direction once again," was Sesshomaru's cool reply. His golden eyes flickered as the young woman looked up to him with bewilderment clouding her features.

"Yet, isn't it you that has come to me this time?" questioned Kagome sporting a quirked brow. She stepped back slightly to create some space between her and the demon lord. She wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation as it had seemed at first.

"On the contrary little miko, you are wandering in places you shouldn't be and I just happened to come upon you," Sesshomaru answered back in an impassive tone. A light laugh met his elfish ears and he was somewhat thrown off by this reaction.

"First off _**Demon, **_I see no reason I shouldn't be able to wander here" Kagome retorted as she dropped the bow to the ground and slid the quiver off her back before resting on the bark of the tree as she sat down, "Secondly, I am neither just miko, human, wench, woman, or reincarnation; I am known as Kagome. That is who I make myself to be,"

An air of confidence surrounded Kagome as she looked up towards Sesshomaru with a fiery gleam in her eyes, which was thought to be lost some weeks before. He attempted not to smirk at the human girl. He was almost taken off guard by the sass she was showing him currently.

Sesshomaru slowly approached Kagome with small graceful steps. His eyes seemed to bore into her very soul and it somewhat alarmed Kagome. Stopping in front of her, Sesshomaru lowered himself to eye level with the young woman as he balanced on the balls of his feet. If Kagome even attempted to move she couldn't as a clawed hand took hold of her chin.

"For a being with such inferior hearing you listen quite well," Sesshomaru said as he turned her head to face him. The demon lord's breath tickled at Kagome's nose which sent a peculiar feeling down her spine.

"Taking in important information has always helped me in the long run, I feel the need to continue this philosophy," Kagome countered as her eyes fluttered downcast for a moment. A low gasp escaped her lips as Sesshomaru's clawed finger swept under her chin for a moment.

"So then I suppose you don't plan on ending your life anytime soon?" Sesshomaru asked smoothly while loosening the grip on her chin slightly. Cerulean orbs came back into view as Kagome opened her eyes again.

"I see no reason to, unless my life is intended to end something so great that I must sacrifice myself. Other than that, I see no other reason to die without a fight, Do you?" Kagome answered as a smile crept to her face. Oh, the sweet taste of proving him wrong made her lick her lips unconsciously. This action did not go unnoticed, for the second after she had done this a clawed finger swept over the same trail.

Sesshomaru eyed the girl before him as a feeling of some unknown origin came to him. Her eyes had widened a fraction at the demon lord's touch and she was slowly being drawn in. Both began to lean towards each other to a point where their faces were but an inch away.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" came the cry of relief from a young human girl as her orange kimono flowed beneath her with each step she took. Rin continued to make her way to her beloved lord as Sesshomaru stood up swiftly from his crouched position. Kagome lowered her head as a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding escaped her mouth.

"My lord, I apologize deeply for the intrusion. The little human wretch refused to listen to anything I said" Jaken screeched as he to burst from the trees, clambering over the rocks and fallen branches on the ground.

Sesshomaru didn't say anything as he walked towards his group. Rin smiled happily up at him before eyeing Kagome, whom continued to lay against the tree. Sesshomaru patted the top of the young girls head before ushering her towards another direction in the trees.

"Continue that way I shall follow shortly," was Sesshomaru's short and curt command. He watched as Rin simply nodded before rushing off into the direction she was facing. Jaken waited patiently by Sesshomaru's side before the look the demon lord gave him told him the need to continue on after the Rin. Once Jaken had disappeared through the trees as well, did Sesshomaru speak.

"I feel that we may cross paths again sometime soon, Kagome…" were Sesshomaru's parting words before he joined his group in the sea of endless trees. This was the second time she had watched him walk away from her, yet she felt it wouldn't be the last time either.

"Meet again we shall, Lord Sesshomaru…"


	4. Destiny, it's your call

_**"Begin growing from where you are - not from where others think you ought to be by now." ~ Steven Douglas Lawrence**_

…..

A silence had grown around the group like a clinging vine, which if real would slowly collapse their lungs. A variety of eyes looked with mesmerized wonder into hues of blue. It was as if the hands of a clock had ticked till some unknown force ripped at the fabric of their existence causing them to come to a screeching halt. Inky black swirled in ethereal brilliance as small hands released their hold of a wooden bow.

He slowly approached her with confusion displayed upon his face. She instantly felt his hand on her cheek as she looked into his golden eyes. He was at a loss of words and she could tell. She was barely even aware of what she had even done moments before.

"What…" was all that could escape his lips until the rest drizzled off like a trickle of water from his mouth. Those golden eyes of his sent her so many messages at this time, she knew not of what to do.

"You act as if I know the answer…"

…..

_Sango's __Hiraikotsu whizzed by Kagura's head in a hiss of fury. The wind demoness smirked at the attempt as she watched the other's continue to fight off Naraku's latest creation. It was quite a beast to behold._

_ The creature held illuminating amethyst eyes which stared down upon the group as a dark chuckle erupted from its throat. Gnarly crooked horns sprouted from its head and a forked tongue peeked out of his mouth as he licked his fangs. Giant-like clawed hands continued to swipe at Miroku and Inuyasha, while Kagome stood on the wayside glaring up at the wind demoness whom sat upon her feather glancing at the scene taking place like a mere spectator._

_ "Damn it…" grunted Inuyasha as he tried grasping the hilt of Tetsusaiga again so that he could pull it out of its sheath. The moment this monster had come it had given him no time to pull out Tetsusaiga. The evil being had thrust him across the area into the trees before that could even happen._

_ Chances were that he wasn't going to get a long enough time to get the damn sword out without some help. Kagome saw this, but was sadly disappointed when Inuyasha called upon Sango's help instead of hers. _

_ A seething anger began to bubble up in Kagome's body, yet she had no idea why. She was just as capable as Sango to ward of the demon long enough for Inuyasha to pull out his sword. Why hadn't he asked her to be the one to do it?_

_ '__**Because he doesn't believe you can**__...'_ _a haunting voice echoed in her mind. She unconsciously gripped her bow tighter in her hands till her knuckles turned white. Her stunning blue eyes shut tight as a low hiss escaped her lips. It wasn't fair._

_ "I can do it!" she screamed as she ran up to the group. Inuyasha now holding a transformed Tetsusaiga glanced back at Kagome startled. Sango and Miroku held similar expressions, but kept their eyes on the task at hand as the beast swiped at them again. Kagura's gaze turned from the fight to the miko as her brow arched upwards._

_ "What the hell are screaming about?" choked Inuyasha as a light blush came to Kagome's face after realizing how much of an idiot she just looked like. She lowered the bow in her hand to her waist as she looked up to him._

_ "Just, let me fight…" was the soft murmur that came from Kagome's lips. Inuyasha looked at her in disbelief before snorting and turning his attention back to the fight. He motioned for Sango and Miroku to get out of the way before striking Naraku's latest beast down._

_ A spray of what was left of the demon spread around the area before resting on the ground. Inuyasha gave a smirk and lowered Tetsusaiga slightly and began to head towards Kagome. Once he found himself in front of her, he stopped._

_ "By now you should know that you are a person not meant to fight, so don't interrupt mine to ask stupid questions" Inuyasha growled before moving his attention to Kagura, "Now all that's left is to finish you off,"_

_ A malevolent cackle filled the field as Kagura gazed down on them from her spot on the feather. Once her laughter had stopped a wicked smile spread upon her face, which sent the group spiraling into confusion. What could she have planned?_

_ "Come now hanyou let the little miko play," Kagura all, but hissed as the smile on her face grew wider. Kagome's eyes narrowed dangerously as she reached for an arrow from her quiver. Oh how this bitch was to pay…_

_ "Are you crazy?" snorted Inuyasha, "She'd probably get hurt and let you get away,"_

_ An arrow almost embedded itself into Inuyasha's head, but missed by an inch and hit a tree nearby. The tree sizzled and smoked for a minute until the purifying powers surrounding it dissipated. Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head and his eyes grew wide in utter bewilderment. Had Kagome just shot at him?_

_ "Next time I won't miss on purpose," Kagome said in the same haunting voice that had filtered through her mind minutes ago. She quickly side-stepped Inuyasha and aimed her next loaded arrow at Kagura. Her eyes squinted in concentration as she prepared to shoot._

_ "Hmmm… you've got spunk kid. Sure, you're fighting for the right team?" Kagura cackled as she eyed the girl before her. Did this human actually believe that she could to harm to the wind demoness? Kagura found the situation entirely amusing._

_ "Oh I assure you, I reside on the right team," Kagome said as she released her first arrow. The wind demoness simply smirked and blew a blast of wind which knocked the arrow off course._

_ "You seem highly confident, but why are you even on a team? I see no purpose for you. Besides with every arrow you shoot at me I can easily deflect it. There must have been something wrong with my head, for me to actually think a human like you could be worthy enough for anything…" Kagura said in a smooth monotone voice._

_ Kagome's eyes began to cloud over into a soft gray and her mouth became one grim line. The rest of the group stood back and could only watch as these events took place. There thoughts were scattered all about, but all their minds at one point or another echoed the same thing. What had happened to Kagome?_

_ "You have no right to tell me what I can and can not do. No one has that right, but me," Kagome spoke out in a deep serious tone. The arrow shot out from the bow and flew by Kagura, this time however nicking her shoulder._

_ "Nice effort, but why do you believe that I can't tell you what to do? You are truly nothing more than a human," Kagura said barely giving a second glance at the tiny wound on her shoulder. More arrows were fired around Kagura, but not one hit their mark right on. The wicked grin returned to Kagura's face. That is…until Kagome spoke up again._

_ "Why do I believe it?" Kagome bellowed, "Because I'm in control of my own destiny!"_

_ Kagome's last arrow had been released and one would only have a second to actually see the shaft of the arrow before it was engulfed in a blinding light. Kagura only had the time to widen her eyes before the light struck her. Opposing energy hit the group so hard that everyone was thrown backwards._

_ Dust flowed around like thick smog as the light from the arrow slowly died away. Coughs erupted from the group as they staggered to their feet to view the scene around them. Or at least they tried to see._

_ Kagome was the last to get on her own two feet as she leaned on her bow lightly for support. Once she was fully standing she let out a hard cough into her hand. She squinted to try to look through the dust as it slowly floated downward._

_ Soon the cloud of dust was less dense and the group caught sight of what else floated down with the dust. A breath caught in their throats as tiny tuffs of once was a giant feather made their descent to the forest floor._

_ This leads to our current situation…_

…..

"I'm surprised Miko" came a cool voice, "That you don't know the answer to a question you created,"

Inuyasha stiffened at the familiar voice. When had he come? Did he do it while they were all distracted? Or did he feel the energy blast from far away? Kagome's eyes widened as she turned to the voice.

"Sesshomaru?"

…..

_**I hope you enjoyed this lil' chap. I thought I'd try something new by adding a quote at the beginning that would go with the chapter. Is it a good idea? Should I continue doing it? Read and Review. YAY! I hope you enjoyed it.**_


	5. Never Assume Anything

"_**This business we call rain is truly a profoundly mysterious thing!" – Ayame Sohma (Fruits Basket)**_

... … …

The sky had dulled into a creamy black abyss as the fire crackled and popped in the makeshift camp. The flames of the fire danced and flickered as they illuminated the newly formed group with an ominous glow. Deep blue eyes stared straight into the flames as if searching for some invisible message. A slow breath left her lips as her gaze lifted to something she also needed to find the hidden meaning to.

His face seemed to be set in stone and held no emotion to be seen. He stood tall and poised in his silk robes. Not a single strand of his silver white hair was ever out of place. Yet, the thing that captured her most about him was his eyes. Deep amber encased around pupils in an almond shape. That is what made up his eyes. They were like his brother's eyes but different somehow. Those eyes soon turned to her.

A breath caught in Kagome's throat as Sesshomaru looked towards her as if he felt her gaze. She felt so out of place with his eyes on her. He knew of her dark side that wished to escape the world through death. It made her feel like an open book to him, letting him read through several pages of unsung tragedies.

"Sesshomaru…" came the voice of Inuyasha from another side of the fire. The hanyou's eyes were narrowed at the demon lord as their gaze met. Sesshomaru turned to look at Inuyasha with an air of indifference splayed across his face. His eyes wavered slightly to glance upon his ward sitting by the fire, before coming back to Inuyasha.

"What is it you wish to speak of?" questioned Sesshomaru as Inuyasha continued to glower at him. Inuyasha took this time to grind his fangs together as a soft growl escaped his throat. Kagome watched on at the scene with weary anticipation.

"I'm just wondering while you're still here…" grumbled Inuyasha, "because we already told you about what we know of Naraku's whereabouts. So there's no reason you should be here bothering me,"

The only sign that Sesshomaru actually acknowledged Inuyasha's words was a slight tilt of his head. His eyes darted over to Jaken giving a signal that they were leaving soon. The little green imp gave an undignified grunt as he came up to his feet and walked over to where Rin sat.

"I merely stayed to confirm something only to find out I was mistaken all along," Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha's glower turned to a befuddled look and Kagome quirked a brow at his words. Jaken led Rin off towards the edge of the campsite with much reluctance from the girl. Sesshomaru prepared himself to follow them when he was stopped by a question.

"What exactly were you trying to confirm, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Kagome. His eyes fell to her as they had done only minutes before and it caused a chill to lay itself in the pit of her stomach. She noticed that he did not answer her question right away, but when he finally did she was not so pleased.

"Well Miko when you completely ripped the existence of that wind demoness from this world, I assumed that perhaps you were something great and I stayed around to see if this was true" Sesshomaru began, "but as they say 'you assume much, but know little'. I should have guessed that my assumption was wrong,"

Jaken held an entirely amused expression as he watched the pitiful human whom was entirely flabbergasted by his master's words. All the breath in the young woman's lungs had escaped, her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open like a fishes. Kagome had never felt so insulted in her life.

The others whom had tried to be quiet with the presence of Sesshomaru so close took hold of the situation. Shippo grasped onto the sleeve of his adoptive mother in an attempt to calm her as Sango and Miroku stood up from their sitting positions by the fire. Sango pointed a menacing glare at Sesshomaru, while Miroku tried to play it cool and slowly approached Sesshomaru.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I would like to suggest that you should continue on your way…" yet Miroku didn't get to finish his statement as a figure sprung up from her spot by the fire. Kagome's eyes flickered from the flame of her anger and the flame that reflected from the fire beside her, but all she knew was that her eyes were currently trying to pierce through Sesshomaru's being.

"I have no idea where the hell you got the idea that you can tell someone's personality, attitude, or even the amount of power they hold in one sitting. You have only been with us one evening, yet you think you have judged me correctly in this short amount of time. I think you've assumed wrong again, because obviously you know nothing at all," Kagome snapped out. It was Jaken's turn to be flabbergasted.

"What exactly are you trying to say human?" Sesshomaru said as a ghost of a smile came unto his face. Suddenly it hit Inuyasha what Sesshomaru was trying to get Kagome to do. Inuyasha's face paled slightly and he began to rush over to Kagome, but it was too late and the damage was about to be done.

"What I'm trying to say Lord Sesshomaru is that you should stay with us for more than one sitting…" Kagome retorted.

…..

The sun beat down hard on the travelers as they continued on the path they had started that morning. They had reached the clearing they currently walked in an hour ago, and there were no trees to cover them from the excruciating heat. One of the travelers stumbled on the path from a rock that had connected with her foot.

Kagome hadn't slept comfortably the past couple of days, in fact, no-one had. It had been some of the most awkward nights in her entire life. It's very hard to try to sleep when someone's taking there time to judge you with everything you do. Why had he agreed to it?

Her eyes traveled to the demon lord that walked slowly behind her with his ward and servant beside him. He preferred to walk behind her so that he could scrutinize her from afar. He had taken what she had stated a few nights ago as a challenge and it didn't seem like he was going to give up anytime soon.

Kagome turned her attention back to the front where her normal group tried their best to keep their distance from the demon lord. A slight pang of guilt hit Kagome as she watched Inuyasha walk ahead with his shoulders rigid and a hand kept close to Tetsusaiga as he glanced back at Sesshomaru every so often. Kagome had not meant to cause this odd turn of events.

She felt a hand being placed on her shoulder and she tensed slightly. When she looked to her side a sigh of relief left her mouth as she realized that it was only Sango. Kagome gave a weary smile as Sango glanced back for a second. Sango turned back around with one last suspicious glance Sesshomaru's way and proceeded to whisper as light as she could to Kagome.

"When do you think he's going to lose interest in this?" Sango asked. Kagome's eyes darkened slightly and a frown marred her features. She sighed and lowered her gaze to the ground. She watched as her feet carried her over one rock and another, and then she finally answered.

"I have no idea…" Kagome said, "And that's what worries me the most,"

…

_**I hope you enjoyed the quote I put in for you. I know the chapter is terribly short, I feel incredibly awful for letting you guys down. Well farewell my readers. Read and Review. ^.^**_


	6. The Truth in Loneliness

"_**When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone. After all, human beings are like that." – Gertrude Stein (writer)**_

…

The sun soaked through the leaves to illuminate the quiet camp site with the morning's first light. Two tiny silhouettes hovered over the lump that had cocooned itself in a sleeping bag as they prodded it with their little bony fingers. A light grunt was all that came from the lump as it shifted slightly in the sleeping bag. A few light giggles erupted from the two tiny silhouettes at the grunt the lump made.

"That was quite an undignified sound for a woman to make, of course you are human…" spoke a cool voice. The lump in the sleeping bag shifted again till it was sitting up. Angry blue eyes peeked out of the sleeping bag along with a mass of ebony hair as they glared at the early morning speaker.

"Hello Kagome," two cheery voices broke out from the tiny silhouettes that soon began to reveal themselves as more light started to fill the sky. Innocent brown and emerald green eyes stared at Kagome as they sparkled with mirth. A smile came onto Kagome's face as she slowly crept out of her sleeping bag.

"Good Morning! Shippo, Rin…" her slightly half sleepy and cherry tone began before turning more bitter towards the last name, "Lord Sesshomaru"

It had been two weeks since the "challenge" had been made and Sesshomaru had yet to give up. There he was sitting in all his glory as he leaned against a tree. This scene was somewhat familiar to Kagome, yet the situation seemed so much different. This time everything was calm and quiet for the most part.

Sesshomaru appeared to be in a relaxed state, if you could tell by the slightest of detail that this was so. His eyes were half-lidded in a bored nonchalant fashion. The wind seemed to play with each strand of his silver hair, and his robes looked pristine as ever. Noticing Kagome's stare, his eyes darted over to hers. She immediately avoided his gaze.

Kagome was embarrassed by the feel of his eyes on her. For some reason it always made her feel like she had done something wrong. Yet, why couldn't she gaze upon him in the same fashion and criticize him? She questioned this, because he'd been doing the very same thing to her for these past weeks. A reason came to Kagome's mind and she faltered at the thought.

"Where are the others?" Kagome asked as she fiddled with the hem of her night shirt. Her eyes and her mind still lingered off to some unknown region of space. A sound broke Kagome's daze for a moment. The sound had been Rin's giggling as Shippo walked over to Kagome with his newly adorned flower crown to answer her question.

"Well, Sango went off flying on Kirara to checkout some news about Naraku's whereabouts and Miroku followed as usual," Shippo answered with a smile on his innocent face. Kagome brought her head down to return Shippo's smile when an excitable Rin came scrambling over on her muddied bare feet with arms flailing and a vibrant twinkle in her eye.

"And Jaken has left to find food for Rin!" Rin squealed with her usual zeal. When this sweet little girl said something so trivial with such enthusiasm it just made Kagome feel so warm on the inside. Kagome had always loved children. It was their own world of illusion that they created for themselves that attracted Kagome to them.

Children could never truly see the bad things in life, the_ real_ bad things. Children also always seem to brighten at the simplest of things. In this world of illusion, as Kagome thinks of it, whenever a child can't understand something, they make up their own logic for it. It's always been an unwritten rule of human nature that added to this illusion of finding an answer for everything, even when it's wrong.

Yet, another thing that attracted Kagome closer to children was the thought that she could stop them from ever realizing what the real world was. It was her small hope that she could help them always have their world of illusion. For that magical world of illusion was truly a child's innocence. She could never let a child begin to fall into disillusionment. Falling into disillusionment meant only one thing, a loss of innocence.

This is why as Rin stood there with all the wonderment in the world sparkling in her eyes; Kagome couldn't help but smile. She had no idea why Rin was cheerful or why the girl seemed to stay so cheerful, but it made her happy. Yet, the happy moment was somewhat spoiled for something still didn't feel right.

Kagome shuffled around in her sleeping bag as she pulled her legs out of it. Sitting with her legs bent and hands laid by her sides, Kagome took an overview of the camp. Out of everyone in the makeshift group accounted for, there was still one missing. The cold feeling in Kagome's soul started coming back.

"Where is Inuyasha?" Kagome asked in a melancholy tone. Somehow she already guessed where he was. There were clues all around her to tell her this, and the one that stuck out the most was the gleam of guilt that show in Shippo's eyes.

"He left a while ago without saying where he was going..." Shippo's voice dropped to a whisper, "Inuyasha figured Sesshomaru wouldn't dare hurt us as long as Rin was here,"

A low grunt was the only acknowledgment that Sesshomaru heard that particular part of the conversation. Kagome glanced over to the taiyoukai beside the tree with slight concern, but remained quiet. Kagome slowly stood up from her sleeping bag and sauntered towards her yellow back-pack.

She felt _his_ eyes on her as she walked. It was an odd feeling. Kagome felt the need to do everything right. She had to look _"perfect"_ as she dug in her bag. She had to look _"perfect" _as she took out her clothes. She had to "_perfectly"_ stand up from her crouched position beside her back-pack. She just had to be **perfect**.

It was all around the same reason she faltered earlier. The exact reason as to why she had to be _"perfect"_. It was because _**he**_ was perfect. _**He**_was perfection. She felt compelled by some inner-force to be _"perfect"_ in his eyes, even when she knew it was nearly impossible. Kagome wanted to be _perfect _just so one person would notice her. Since no one else seemed to notice her except him.

Yes, no one but him. That thought lingered in Kagome's mind as she made her way into the woods to change. Deep blue orbs shifted left to right before Kagome began to slip out of her night clothes.

The leaves surrounding Kagome swirled, shifted, and scattered about like the thoughts and emotions inside her. Kagome glanced down at her attire for the day with a muffled groan. She swept a hand through her messy onyx hair as she hissed through her teeth. Kagome leaned her back on the rough bark of a nearby tree.

Looking at her clothes for the day made her feel as if the tiny fibers of cloth were against her. Yet, she chose to wear these clothes day in and day out. Perhaps she was against herself without realizing it? All of it was always the same.

Currently Kagome's white and green uniform went against all she was trying to fix. This outfit she wore was the same, while she was trying to change whom she was. It is known that changing is not based on looks alone, but her clothes stood for something else in her mind. They symbolized everything and all she'd ever done wrong.

She wore them when she got into all this mess. She wore them when she fell down the stupid well. She wore them when she met Naraku. She wore them when she got kidnapped and Kikyo came back to life. She wore them when she shattered the jewel. And worst of all, she wore them when she met Inuyasha…

A tiny tear slid down Kagome's cheek, which she persistently tried to wipe it away with the sleeve of her shirt as more began to fall. Rubbing away at her cheek a bit longer, Kagome shoveled all her discarded sleeping clothes in her hands. Kagome's nose twitched as she sniffled slightly before she started making her way back to the camp.

Rin and Shippo appeared startled when Kagome plopped her night clothes beside them. The two little rascals had created their own form of amusement by digging around Kagome's large yellow bag. Things were scattered here and there, some normal and some particularly embarrassing. A sigh escaped Kagome as she picked up a pink thong she had gotten as a joke from a friend and stuffed it back into her bag with a blush.

"Please don't dig through my things when I'm not here you guys…" She said in a somber tone. The young children's eyes filled with worry as they surrounded Kagome with coos of love. Shippo flopped into her lap and put his stubby arms around Kagome's neck while Rin leaned into Kagome's shoulder smiling.

"Everything is going to be alright Kagome…" Rin said in a light voice as she lifted a tiny flower clasped in her hand and gently placed it into Kagome's hair. Kagome tried to smile, but the feelings from earlier were coming back along with the tears that came with them.

The tears were falling too fast for Kagome to wipe them away in time. Out of the corner of her blurred vision, Kagome could see Sesshomaru approaching her and the children. The young woman immediately leaped from her spot. She couldn't deal with this now. She did the only thing she could think to do. She ran…

She ran away. She ran away from Shippo and Rin. She ran away from the camp site. She ran away from Sesshomaru. As Kagome was leaving the camp she almost crashed into Jaken upon his return, scattering the berries he had collected for Rin. She continued running till she was beyond their sight and shadowed behind mighty trees.

"WHAT IS THAT WENCH DOING!" screeched Jaken as he stumbled about until he was able to regain his balance. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at all the berries strewn about the forest floor. His anger began to grow again and he stomped his feet as he muttered curses under his breath about the wretched human.

"Jaken…" a chilling voice pierced through the air. Jaken froze in utter terror as he stared up into Sesshomaru's eyes. Golden eyes were mere slits as they glared down into the frightened eyes of the cowering toad. Jaken fell towards the ground and started begging for forgiveness. Sesshomaru merely scoffed and kicked Jaken aside from his path.

"Watch the children while I am gone; make sure nothing happens to them…" Sesshomaru said in the same sharp tone before he also disappeared into the deep of trees. Jaken, Shippo, and Rin were left in silence to watch as something they didn't understand took place before their eyes.

…

Kagome had found a rock to sit on. She currently had her legs bent and clutched against her chest, her head was bent down in a dejected fashion, and her tears were slowly drying with the force of the wind that had picked up since earlier this morning. Hair swept, swirled, twisted, and turned as Kagome released a shaky breath from her mouth.

"You seem to repeat actions often," a cool voice uttered. Kagome kept her head down, but her eyes narrowed. Sesshomaru walked over to Kagome whom was currently hunched over herself. He found this sight quite pitiful.

"Leave me alone!" bit out Kagome lifting her head up as she grit her teeth together. Hot tears streamed sprung up again and trailed down her cheeks faster now. Why did he have to see her when she was so weak? How would this prove to him she was worthy enough of… What was she trying to prove?

"What has upset you this time, human?" Sesshomaru as he moved to stand only a foot away from Kagome. His hair tousled along with the wind as he looked at her. He couldn't understand why she seemed so broken, than she seemed earlier. He had his assumptions though.

"I hate…these clothes that I'm wearing," Kagome responded, realizing how ridiculous she must sound. Sesshomaru was slightly taken aback by this answer. It was not what he had been expecting, at all. His eyebrows arched upward as he eyed Kagome more critically now.

"Why would you be bothered so much by something so trivial?" Sesshomaru questioned in a disbelieving tone. Sesshomaru began to muddle about this in his mind as he tried to understand why something so simple as clothes could hurt this young woman so emotionally.

"It's not so trivial to me… I always wear the same thing over and over. I make sure to wear the same thing to all of my failed attempts at being someone important. There's never been a time when I haven't worn this same stupid outfit!" Kagome started to yell as she stood up from her spot on the rock.

There was a brief pause in the conversation. A brief moment of silence entered Kagome's temporary sanctuary that Sesshomaru had invaded minutes before. The wind started picking up more speed and brushed passed them violently. All they needed was one more defining factor and it'd be 'perfect'. The grey clouds that were pulled in by the strong winds began to sprinkle upon them. _Perfect…_

"You are mistaken, Miko…" Sesshomaru said in an icy voice. Kagome growled angrily and jumped up from her spot. Her hands lay clinched by her sides as she pointed him with a sharp glare. What the hell was he talking about? In her frustration Kagome stomped her foot up and down on the ground.

"Excuse me?" Kagome bit out. Her face began to slightly tinge red from her anger. Her stomping stopped only momentarily, before she continued her towards Sesshomaru's general area. Kagome stopped just in front of him and looked up into his deep serious golden eyes.

Sesshomaru's lips pursed slightly as he sighed. Then those same lips closed to form a thin line once again. Sesshomaru's eyes became half-lidded as he went into deep thought about something. His gaze fell to the forest floor as different things filtered through his mind. Then Sesshomaru's golden eyes found their way back to Kagome's astonishing blue ones.

"Do you remember the saying I told you earlier? 'You Assume Much, You Know Little…' Do you know the rest of that saying?" he asked in a somewhat cryptic tone. Kagome was thrown through a loop by this.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kagome shot back with another question. The wind whipped her hair forward ruthlessly as she tried to bore her eyes into the demon in front of her. She wanted to show her confusion; to show her anger.

"What I'm trying to explain Miko, is as to why I've been paying such close attention to you. The reason, apparently, that I've been wasting my time for; to accomplish the full complete version of the saying. The saying being 'You assume much, you know little, Investigate to fill the gap'. You created a curiosity in me that I had to fill by finding out more about you," Sesshomaru answered in a calm tone. It was strange for Sesshomaru to admit feeling anything; stranger still that he would admit to an emotion as childish as pure curiosity.

"First off, you still have yet to explain how I was mistaken and what the hell this has to do with the earlier conversation; furthermore I really don't care that me killing Kagura made you curious. That's _wonderful_, that's absolutely _great_, but I don't give a damn about it," Kagome snarled at the dog demon lord. She was tired emotionally and physically at this point and time; and any more confrontation with anyone was going to push her over the edge.

"I don't know how often you like to be wrong in a day, girl…" Sesshomaru began and gave Kagome a stern look that said 'shut up till I'm done'; and continued with his speech, "But, the fight with the wind demoness was not the first time you caught my interest. The time you first interested me was the first time we made contact. Also, to go back to the so called constant apparel you say you wear, I can say that, you were not wearing this particular outfit on that occasion,"

During his little speech, Kagome had coughed and sputtered at his look in a fury filled fashion. However, towards the end her coughs and sputters ceased; and her mind began to rewind back and play past events. Sesshomaru was right; she hadn't worn this outfit when they first met. After thinking about this for a moment, the other thing he mentioned found its way to her mind.

"How… How did I interest you the first time we met?" Kagome asked in a lighter voice than she had used through their entire conversation beforehand. He stared at her with his deep golden eyes, looking as if he questioned whether or not he should tell her.

"The simple answer is that, you lived," Sesshomaru replied in an impassive voice. Kagome thought about what he said and nodded like she understood. It was odd that she had managed to survive Sesshomaru's poison and even more of a miracle that she had survived most of her encounters with him. Kagome then realized that most times they met were not the best of times. Kagome made eye contact with Sesshomaru again. He looked like he was ready to continue speaking.

"It intrigued me as well when you pulled my father's sword out, when neither I nor Inuyasha could," Sesshomaru started, "I also was surprised by the reaction I got from Inuyasha when it was thought you were dead or when you were in danger. He appears to care very much for you…"

A strange sound met his last few words. Kagome's body language suggested she was not pleased with something he had said. Her head was bent down and her hair shadowed her eyes; the sound had been her agonizing gasp. An aura of gloom now surrounded the girl; and as the rain started to pick up, it was hard to tell her falling tears from the rain.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Suddenly, Kagome's clenched fist rammed into Sesshomaru's chest as a choked sob arose from her. Even though he hadn't really felt anything more than a light bump, Sesshomaru's eyes widened in surprise; and he reacted without thinking. A clawed hand met with Kagome's cheek and she crumpled to the forest floor in an undignified heap.

"Miko! This Sesshomaru might slightly respect a mere mortal such as yourself, yet that does not give you in any right to assault my being without reason," came a growl-like response from Sesshomaru on Kagome's action.

Kagome stumbled as she tried to stand up from the ground that was slowly turning to mud from the falling rain. Her eyes were lit with a fiery blaze, and she couldn't tell for certain what emotion she was experiencing was the most prominent; for at this moment she felt anger, sadness, heartbreak, pain, and the beginning of hatred for those whom bring about these emotions.

"Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you? Is that it? I didn't die physically, so you're going to try to kill me mentally? Are you some kind of sadist that gets a kick out of each destructive blow to my heart and mind?" Kagome wailed in her broken sounding voice, as cracked as her heart.

"What Madness do you speak of? Calm yourself, Miko; you are becoming far too emotional over little things. In no shape or form, have I come to cause you any harm on this day," Sesshomaru said plainly. Kagome fisted her hands into her head and screamed. Her head began to swing back in forth. The tears she cried began mixing with the rain and streamed down her cheeks. Her teeth grit together as she cried aloud. Her hands dropped to her side and she panted heavily. She gazed up at Sesshomaru with eyes of hopelessness.

"You have no idea what kind of world I live in. What kind of bleak existence I go through day in and out. To love someone with all your heart, give them all you have, stay by their side, and _wait_… You have no idea how it feels to face the horrible torture of just waiting there with hopeful eyes and wondrous dreams of true happiness; and to have those hopeful eyes fill with gloom and your dreams shatter into a million pieces.," Kagome cried, "Do you have any idea how it feels to love someone with all your heart and receive nothing in return?"

What faced her after that declaration was unexpected. It was the eyes of someone that seemed as broken as her. They were filled with pain, heartache, and something else. Although, no obvious emotion showed on his face another story was told in his eyes. The words that left his mouth would send a shock throughout Kagome's body.

"I do…"

…..

_**Re-editing all these chapters is starting to get to me. Lol. I hope you can appreciate all my efforts and review if you can. **_


	7. Hope

"**_Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.," - _****_The Shawshank Redemption_****_ (movie)_**

"**_She loves me all that she can, _****_  
_****_And her ways to my ways resign; _****_  
_****_But she was not made for any man, _****_  
_****_And she never will be all mine." - _****_Edna St. Vincent Millay (writer)_**

………………

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head not from the rain now falling at a steady pace, but at the scene that met him when he returned to his camp. The fire was being smothered and a black smoke rose from the burning wood. Shippo eyes were taking a glassy sheen as tears filled them; Sango was blocking the rain with her Hiraikotsu, Miroku sat with his staff under a tree, and Kagome was no-where to be found…

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked with a tinge of worry and guilt. Sango just sighed and shook her head, Miroku shrugged his shoulders and leaned against a tree by their campsite, and Shippo sniffled loudly before flopping on his tiny stomach.

"She just left without telling us where she was going. Sesshomaru followed her, but then he came back and took away Rin and that green guy. But, Kagome never came back…" Shippo choked out teary-eyed.

Inuyasha tensed at the mention of his half-brother's name, and a feeling of dread followed. Where was Kagome? Had his brother done something to her? Inuyasha let out a menacing growl as his hands began clenching and un-clenching.

"Why aren't we doing anything? Kagome could be in danger!" Inuyasha howled at the group, but all they did was blink their eyes at him and looked back into the dying fire. A voice came out to break the silence that had taken hold of the campsite.

"Well, that's surprising that you even care," came a quiet voice from the trees, "Since you left us behind and even said 'he'd never hurt us'"

Kagome walked out from the trees. She was drenched from the rain that had fallen earlier, which was now calming down back to a drizzle. Her black hair lay down in glittering straight wisps having been patted down from the rain and other things… Inuyasha felt his guilt grow stronger at the sight of the soaked Kagome.

"Kagome, I…" but Inuyasha's words died in his mouth as Kagome swept past him, ignoring his words. She stepped over to her soggy back-pack that the rain had left marred as well. She began to heft it onto her shoulder and walked over to Sango. Inuyasha had an idea of where this was going.

"Listen Kagome, I know you're upset that I left. But, please don't leave, because of me. I promise I'll make it up to you…" a slim finger was brought to Inuyasha lips, that wasn't his own. He had been put to silence a new way by her. Kagome's eyes held a fiery blaze, yet there was something else there too. She'd never looked so serious before.

"Shut up! Just shut your damn mouth. I know how much you wished that my whole world should revolve around you, but it doesn't. My life does not go around everything you do. I refuse for it to. The reason I'm leaving is not, because of you…" She bit out coldly.

Kilala transformed to her other form in a fiery swoop. Kagome's eyes had hardened in a deep blue, and the others had been hushed by her words. Kagome hopped onto the great cat-like beast and told her the words to take her home. Inuyasha merely watched this un-fold as his eyes became glazed in confusion.

"If not for me…than for who?" he questioned allowed.

……………….

_Her tears were warm upon her face, yet the rain around her was so cold. She was taken aback by seeing what she currently felt in the eyes of the one in front of her. He looked to be a creature surrounded with an icy shell, yet there was warmth in his eyes somewhere; although, there appeared to be a sadness as well. A sadness that was thought to be held only by those with humanity. He proved those thoughts wrong with his solemn amber eyes._

_"You know how I feel…" Kagome said softly as her lips quivered from the mixture of engulfing __anguish__ and the realization that somehow he knew. Perhaps this was the reason he could read her like a book; perhaps this reason was because he knew how she felt long before her feelings started._

_"Miko, I know many things. Yet, I have to say this is the one that I usually try to avoid, for it haunts the __recesses__ of mind in ways that you can scarcely imagine. I suppose you could call it a weakness. A weakness that hides in the shadows and taunts me when I least expect," Sesshomaru said in a contemplative tone._

_"What…Who was she?" Kagome asked in a tone filled with both curiosity and meekness. His gaze flew to the sky with no worries of the raindrops falling into his eyes. She wondered if this is how a man of greatness cries. Does he let the heavens cry for him? His eyes seemed to be looking past the clouds after her question. _

_"She was…something I couldn't entirely grasp in the beginning. To me, she was something that was filled with happiness that someone like her shouldn't possess. She'd always seem to take something simple and make it the most valuable treasure. Her eyes were filled with light. Even though everyone around her ignored her existence or cursed her for her existence, she'd just open her arms to greet them with the love of the world she held. She was an enigma…" he said with a hint of affection that made Kagome's heart warm with a feeling that was foreign to her, or so she thought._

_"Was she…beautiful?" Kagome asked, growing slightly more confident in her questioning and growing more in curiosity. A ghost of a smile came to his face as the rain streaked down his striped cheeks in tiny streams. Kagome had gone back down to sit upon her rock and watched the god-like creature before her being doused by the falling rain in such a glorious way it caught a breath in her throat._

_"I suppose she was, yet no-one around her would admit, even I. She was something rare at the least. She was beautiful in that she was different. Of course, her differences also made her life harder," he spoke softer now. Kagome bit her lip as she thought of her next question. She brought her knees back up and under her chin. For some reason, this position made her comfortable._

_"Did you…" Kagome stopped with slight hesitation but continued, "Did you ever tell her your feelings?"_

_She took a sharp intake of breath as Sesshomaru's eyes fell back to hers. He stepped towards her slowly and his eyes were filled with a pained look. She struck a cord hard in him, and it was reverberating in the whole area._

_"I believe it is time I questioned you, Kagome…" he spoke in a low voice. Kagome's heart nearly leapt in her throat as her name left his mouth. It sounded so…odd and different leaving his lips. He was in front of her now. A towering being of glorified brilliance and it was intensified by the way the rain glistened upon his clothes._

_"Do you know what it's like to love something you shouldn't? To love someone that others look down upon and ridicule, and would have those people utterly disown me for loving?" his hand came to rest on her cheek._

_His hand slid up her cheek and was buried into her onyx hair. Kagome shivered, but she did not know if it was from his touch or from the cold feeling of her damp clothes. His eyes appeared to be searching for something. She wondered if she should respond to his questions, yet she was afraid she didn't have the answers. His face drew near as his hand swept back further into her black locks._

_"At first, I had thought the worst thing in this world was to not be able to hold the person you love, because mentally you were not ready... But now, I've found something worse than that. For even if I wanted to hold anyone I may love…I can't" he said with such melancholy, that. Kagome stopped breathing. Her eyes fell to where Sesshomaru's other arm should be. _

_"Do not pity me Kagome…" he said as her eyes met his, "the only thing I wish for you to do is breathe me,"_

_Before she could question what he meant, his head lowered to meet hers like the time so many weeks ago. She was hoping someone would come and stop this, yet at the same time she wanted it to go on. His deep golden eyes locked onto hers as his angelic lips descended upon her peach colored lips._

_The kiss was bitter-sweet. She could taste the pure water-droplets that had collected on their lips along with her salted tears. She could feel the soft smooth feeling of his lips against her rough dry cracked ones. It was a passionate moment between two broken souls. It was a high esteemed being bestowing on a lowly human a taste of poison that would wound her heart in the end. It was something so good, yet all things must come to an end…_

_Their mouths broke apart as Sesshomaru slowly pulled his hand out of Kagome's hair. His amber orbs were half-lidded as he gazed at her. His one hand lay upon her cheek as thunder crackled in the back-round. Water drizzled down her face and began to collect in his hand as he watched her face that held such bewilderment. She was confused and he knew this, for he confused himself with the action as well. His hand slid off her face to land beside his side as he stood up straight._

_"Why…" Kagome inquired timidly as her head lifted up to look upon Sesshomaru's face. He stayed quiet for a moment. The wind blew again, scattering the wet clinging leaves in fluttering chaos. His gold eyes shined for a moment from the lightning that lit up the sky before dulling down._

_"I do not know," he answered truthfully. Kagome tried blinking the water droplets that were blurring her vision. She breathed in deeply thinking about something. Her eyes traveled across his face again and she shyly started bringing up a petite hand to his cheek, but he pulled back. Her hand retreated back to place itself on her chest as she put her head down. Her question came anyway._

_"Do…do you love me?" Kagome asked with something akin to hope in her eyes. Seeing that look in her eyes caused Sesshomaru to falter. He had to look away from her or the look alone would crush him. He'd seen that look in someone's eyes long ago, and if he looked into those blue orbs it would eat away at his very being. He turned his back on her, so that all that faced her were his sopping white robes._

_"No…" he answered emotionlessly. He let the ice fall back into place. He hoped the chilling rain would solidify the cracks in his mask that the girl behind him had tried to pick away at without realizing. He couldn't risk stripping another being of all they had again. It was the one thing he shared with the girl, he supposed. They both found it so much easier to run away…_

………………………

It had been a day in passing, since he left his half-brother's group. He saw the way his ward seemed saddened by the loss of her new 'friends'. The young girl had merely asked him an innocent question, but that question made him decide it was time to take a break in their travels. He had asked Jaken to watch the girl as he headed off on his own for a bit. Normally a break for a great demon lord as him was un-heard of, if it was not following some sort of battle; although, perhaps there was a battle, just not on the outside.

A rock in the hot-spring shifted and plopped into the water, causing water droplets to splash onto Sesshomaru's feet. His metal armor tumbled to the ground and he began to tug at the sash around his waist with one hand. His robes slowly slipped from his shoulders to reveal the flawless pale skin underneath; and soon more and more pieces of clothing followed afterward.

His honey-colored eyes glanced at the water where he met his reflection. Elegant looking straight hair lay past his bare shoulders. He slowly raised his clawed hand and placed it on his muscled chest; and he slowly slid it down his front till his hand rested on his sculpted abdomen. He sniffed at the image of his own body. He was almost perfect, except for one flaw…

"It is of a minor inconvenience, and it can not be helped," Sesshomaru found the words slip from his mind and out of his mouth. His claws tapped along his stomach as he sighed from his troubled thoughts. His physical appearance had not ever bothered him before, until the mentioning of what he could not do.

His face contorted into a tiny frown, but his face shifted back to how it normally would look a second later. His feet dipped into the water and he gradually wadded deeper into the hot-spring. Soon enough, the steaming waters reached the maroon stripes on his thighs. One clawed-fingertip grazed against the water as he thought to himself.

His long tone legs carried him to a slightly more shallow part of the spring so he could sit down. With each step he took, his foot would meet the sandy bottom of the spring in a soft squish. Sesshomaru set his back onto a smooth boulder behind him as he laid himself out onto the spring floor in a more comfortable position.

While his body felt content in its surroundings; his mind was elsewhere and it wasn't the happiest of places. It was a place filled with pain and lost love. It was a place filled with his guilt and lost dreams. It was a place with regret and inner-anguish. It was a place of disenchantment and lost innocence. It was a place with a loss of **_hope…_**

………

_At the age he was now, he was just learning how to hide his emotions. His father told him it was his best defense. Never let your enemy know what you're thinking. That was the key to success. During this current moment in time, as he stood by his mother while looking upon the scene before him, it wasn't to hard to not let them know what he was thinking; because he wasn't entirely sure himself._

_A tall well-poised man stood beside his father, as they discussed over something. The man was an elemental demon, a lesser lord in is fathers lands, whom was a dear friend to his father. His name was Roka, which fit his element water,_ _white crest of the wave.__ His eyes were a deep sea green and his black hair was tinted blue. The object of their discussion stood beside Roka._

_She didn't seem nearly as tall as he was, yet she looked about his age. Her eyes were like different depths of water, shimmering from deep green to blue. Unlike her father Roka, her hair was golden like the sun with tints of blue. A tiny tear-drop mark lay under her eye to prove her heritance. Sesshomaru found her lovely…_

_"A hanyou, that's surprising…" his mother, Luna said lower than a whisper, as she eyed the girl with a risen brow. Sesshomaru blinked at the foreign word, although it had been muttered several times since the arrival of Roka and his daughter. It always bothered him greatly when curiosity grasped him about something. What ever could this word mean?_

_"Mother, what is a hanyou?" Sesshomaru asked innocently. A dozen pairs of eyes fell to him, after he asked his question. His mother's small clawed hand gripped firmly on his shoulder. His father had looked over with a look of annoyance and disappointment; he could feel his mother's embarrassment. Sesshomaru was confused by this._

_"What…" Sesshomaru began to question, before he caught sight of Roka's daughter staring at him intently. She seemed slightly saddened by something, yet her eyes sparkled with the same curiosity he felt. A few stifled snickers came from the people in the court, but his father's eyes pierced through them; telling them to silence._

_That is when Roka's daughter began to approach Sesshomaru with tiny timid steps. The silence in the room increased as she tilted her head to the side to observe Sesshomaru, tiny tendrils of hair fell over her shoulder as she did so. Sesshomaru left his mother's hold to walk towards her._

_There was something different about her. She smelt different…Not that she smelt bad, yet her scent was mixed together with something peculiar. Her natural scent was absolutely lovely. It smelt of ocean breeze and wild flowers. Although, the mystery behind her scent came back again. Could he smell human upon her?_

_"Hello…" she spoke lightly as her eyes met Sesshomaru. He came closer to her, taking her hand in his bringing it up to his lips. Placing a light kiss upon her hand as was customary upon first meeting a lady of some higher social status. A gasp filled the courtroom, yet he had no idea why._

_"My lady, it's good to meet you,"_

_………_

_He had found out throughout the years, what a hanyou was. It was what she was… Roka's daughter had come to stay with them after the day of their first meeting. The discussion Roka and his father had had was about protecting Roka's daughter. Roka had known that his father was powerful and could do well to see through with her protection. _

_Even though she was born of a high ranking father, she was treated as a servant. His father had not wished of such a thing for the poor girl, but the other servants had refused to her. She was thought to not be worthy of their attentions. She was a half-breed, not even worthy enough to have youkai blood running through her._

_Sesshomaru's father tried instructing them on treating the girl fairly, but when his father's back was turned, the torture began. The people in the palace made sure not to harm her physically, but rather mentally. Ever since the first day they met, Sesshomaru had been bothered by everyone about what he had done when greeting her. They drove him to where he began to regret it, and then he started to avoid her more and more. Sadly, he even forgot her name; the only one that called her by her true name was his father and mother._

_Yet, even though the world seemed to shun her; she smiled back at the world. A smile even lay on her face even after the few times the people tortured physically. At first, Sesshomaru believed her to be crazy; but as time began to pass by, he began to realize that she truly just loved the world._

_It was as she worshipped the wind, the sky, the birds, the heavens, the trees, the leaves, and the rain… It is expected of most elementals to embrace themselves in their element, but she was different. She was only half of an elemental, but she managed to embrace everything without worry. It was what attracted him to her…_

_Sesshomaru watched her from afar. He soaked in the warmth that surrounded her being. He always wondered if she knew of his far-away gaze. At one point, he was sure she noticed, for he had begun to receive tiny gifts from her. _

_She never gave them in person. He would just always find them lying upon his bed in his sleeping quarters, most likely after she cleaned them. They were never anything entirely special. We he had received the first gift; he hadn't even known still he smelt her scent on it. The first had been a tiny flower. The tiny flower had almost been crushed by his small hand when he retrieved it from the bed. Her scent was the thing that stopped his form simply disposing the small plant._

_The most recent of her little tokens was a piece of cloth with a cloud sewn into it. His mother had been teaching the girl to sew in secret. The only reason he knew this, was because he watched her now with his mother. She carefully took the thimble in her hand and gently picked up a piece of cloth as his mother instructed. Suddenly, she stopped her movements. Sesshomaru froze as her eyes met his; it was as if she had sensed his presence. A miniscule smile came upon her face._

_…………_

_His mother was gone. She had left him without saying good-bye. She was gone from this world, and there was no coming back. A strange illness had taken hold of her, and she died. The first accusation of the sickness had fallen on the half-breed girl. They blamed her ruthlessly for the death of the queen. Yet, Sesshomaru did not believe them. He knew the girl would never wish death upon his mother, for after hearing the news he saw her weep for the first time._

_Throughout all she had gone through. Throughout all the tortures physically and mentally thrust upon her, she had never cried. Even when it seemed that no-one loved the girl, not a tear spilled from the girls eyes. Yet, she had cried for his mother, and it was another thing that made him believe she had not done it._

_On this night that his mother died, the sky was ruthless. It seemed he was not along in his grief; the angels seemed to be crying with him. The moon shone through the leaves, and the night air chilled the pouring rain more. Sesshomaru had run away from the castle. He had wished to avoid everyone and everything. He was trained hard not to look weak, but tonight he had to break this rule._

_"Sesshomaru…" came her quiet voice. Her voice was so light, from not being used often. She rarely talked to him, but then again he usually ignored her. Yet, there was a reason he ignored her; and it was not the reason everyone else chose to ignore her. However, on this night, it was time for him to speak. The reason if this speaking was merely to silence her again, he supposed._

_"Hanyou, I wish not to talk on this night," Sesshomaru tried speaking coolly, but the roughened tone of his voice gave away the pain he was feeling. She began to step towards him as tears slid down her face, or was it the rain? Maybe, it was both. She looked to be an angel as she approached him._

_"I'm terribly sorry," she said as her eyes gleamed a deep green from the moonlight. Sesshomaru stood up from his spot. He walked towards her slowly and stopped in front of her. He was unsure of what to say. Looking into her eyes he saw something that bothered him. He was taken aback. She had never taken the words of the people before, yet her eyes told him she truly believed she'd killed his mother._

_"There is nothing to apologize for, you have done something wrong," Sesshomaru said as he gazed at her with golden ambers eyes. He saw as her body relaxed itself with relief and she gave a weary smile. He was surprised. Was his acceptance of her, all she needed to determine the truth?_

_Her eyes turned to the sky and a tiny breath left her mouth. The moonlight basked her in a heavenly glow, while the rain turned her hair into sheen blue. He realized that he had often seen her embrace the rain the most. He assumed it was because that it was the closest way she could get to her element._

_"I've always loved the rain at night. The sky is filled with darkness and the angels are filled with sadness shedding their tears, yet when I see this I know I can make the happy," she said in an airy voice. Sesshomaru's eyebrow quirked at this statement._

_"You say you can take something so dark and make it better. Why do you this?" Sesshomaru inquired. Her face turned towards his again. A small smile graced her lips, and he recognized it as the one she used when she knew something he did not._

_"Don't you know? My name is Nozomi. It means hope…" she said, her hand reached for Sesshomaru's as she squeezed it tight and looked into his eyes, "Sesshomaru, I want you know I'll always be with you, which means you'll always have hope,"_

_Sesshomaru realized he loved Nozomi at that moment. He always somewhat knew he loved her. Yet, he could not love her. He would not be able to show that he loved her. He still had to follow his father's rule, and keep Nozomi safe. Nozomi's hand tenderly met Sesshomaru's cheek as she smiled. Yes, after this night, he would start it ignore her again. If only because he loved her…_

………………

"My Lord…" croaked a loud raspy voice. Sesshomaru's eyes slowly opened up. He could hear the water rushing passed his ears and feel the warmth of the spring. How very odd. He was not aware he had fallen asleep.

"Jaken, I will return shortly. Please leave me again," Sesshomaru answered. Jaken slowly walked away from the side of the spring. Golden eyes followed his movements, till Jaken was out of sight.

Sesshomaru lifted a claw-hand from the water and moved his fingers as he looked at the wrinkles forming in them from the water. Just how long had he become distracted? Thoughts of the past usually came in short tiny pieces. Yet, on this night he had been assaulted by locked away memories full force.

A saddened look streaked across Sesshomaru's face as one final thought came to him. It was perhaps the whole reason the memories had come. He sighed and swept a hand through his hair, before he prepared to get out of the spring.

"In the end it was my love that killed her, just not the way I expected…"

…………………………

**_Thank-you again for reading another chapter. I hope you enjoyed this, and yet again I have beaten a whole new record in pages. I hope you continue to read and review. It is through your reviewing, that helps me update faster and make better chapters. . I appreciate everything my readers do. I hope to update soon. Love YA!_**


	8. Water Maiden

"**_He was like an angel, you know? I never knew life could be like that. He was the one thing I followed through in my life, the one thing I didn't give up on. I was good at loving him," – Untamed Heart (Movie)_**

_**"...she has learned the greatest tragedy is the cowardice of self-betrayal, and that self-betrayal occurs when one permits oneself to be diverted from the truth: That there is nothing to lose." - From All the Pretty Horses (book)**_

"_**If you can't sing, clap your hands; if you can't clap your hands…then there's no hope" – Unknown**_

…………

There was calm about the small room. It was not a peaceful calm, but more of a feeling of stillness. A tiny breeze floated in through the window fluttering the white curtains; and the setting sun shone through. Cobalt eyes focused on the slowly spinning blades of the fan atop the ceiling. A body lay completely motionless on the soft pink sheets of a bed. The body's chest lifted and fell with each puff of air it took. Dried tears stung on the face of a sorrowful girl…

"Kagome…" came a quiet voice from the creaked bedroom door, "Will you be going to school tomorrow? You're friends have been worried about you,"

Those cobalt eyes blinked briefly and a breath escaped peach colored lips. A petite hand lifted to the cheek that held disappearing tears. They were gone, but the pain was still there. Kagome sighed and thought about what her mother said. She supposed listening to her friends "problems" would put her in a lighter mood, because usually they were utterly ridiculous.

"I suppose, I can go to school tomorrow," Kagome answered while turning her head to look at her mother. A nod of the head was the little sign of acknowledgement that Kagome's mother had heard her, before the older woman disappeared behind the door once again.

Kagome's hands gripped the comforter on her bed as she tried to lift them over her body in a tired effort. Seeing that it proved to be more difficult than she previously thought, she gave up. Her arms flapped back onto her bed, her hands released, and she lay with arms stretched out and open palms.

A light scratching sound could be heard coming from her door. Kagome's head shifted slightly on the sheets as she watched the door nudge open. A yowl came from an overweight cat as it stumbled over to her direction. She listened to the slight pause and preparation the fat fur-ball took before launching onto her bed.

She felt the weight of the cat dip her mattress in; and then tiny orange and white paws came into view at the corner of her eye. Buyo's head bent down revealing light green diamond eyes as he yowled again.

The tubby little tabby rolled on his back as he twisted his furry head in Kagome's hand. Buyo consistently rubbed his head against her palm in an attempt to coax her into petting him. Buyo sought after affection, not entirely sure if he'd receive it; this action reminded Kagome of herself.

A doleful smile appeared on Kagome's face as she thought about this fact. Here was a being consumed with the want to be loved, yet the person they want it from is not willing to comply. Buyo meowed louder, while eyeing Kagome expectantly. The girl did not move a muscle.

"Poor, Poor Kitty… wanting something you can't have. You're a persistent little rascal in your want for love and attention. You just poke and prod till you get what you want, don't you? Maybe…" Kagome said as she reached her hand to pet Buyo whom purred in response, "That's why in the end you win. Perhaps, it's because you never give up; and still have hope that love will come,"

Buyo gave one last happy meow as Kagome pet his stomach. Soon enough, the content cat bolted out the door and left Kagome to her loneliness once again. An airy laugh left Kagome's mouth at the sadistic irony of her situation.

She'd given affection to this creature and watched as he sauntered off happily, leaving her feeling like she had gained nothing from the experience. Was it common to walk away from those that care for you? Was life always so cruel?

"If this is the course on which my admiration of things is taking me, I fear I shall always be alone…"

…………………………………….

An almost transparent fog of odor filled the sub-way station. The only thing that stunk worse than a rotting corpse was the stench of more than thousand different people crammed together; and their pungent aromas. Kagome's gag reflex activated and a nauseous feeling hit her like a wave.

She had a whole-new attire picked out for herself today. Kagome wore a white sleeveless shirt under her low-cut orange hoodie; and adorning her shirt were tiny orange, yellow, and red dots sparse out everywhere. Peeking underneath her shirt and hoodie were a pair of denim-cuffed Capri's.

Her petite feet held white and orange striped sandals as she continued walking around the subway station. Kagome's newest hand-bag swung and wrapped around her arm as she heard foot-steps behind her.

"Kagome! What on earth are you wearing? You do know that not wearing your uniform could get you in trouble?" a girl with frizzy wavy hair said as she approached Kagome. The girl was one of Kagome's school friends, Ayumi.

"Personally, I didn't feel like wearing that grubby little outfit that causes me utter disarray, absence of disabuse, and my inner turmoil disaster," Kagome announced to her now assembled group of friends with a hard hearted tone.

"Well, well, well… someone sounds like they got off the wrong side of the bed this morning," Yuka chimed in as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I think it has something with that stupid boyfriend of hers, or ex-boyfriend seeing as her mood is going. You should have heard Kagome when I called her to see if she was going to the class-field trip" Eri huffed as she draped her arms around Kagome's shoulders. Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed. The time of Eri's phone-call was possibly the worst timing for Kagome.

………………………

_Clothes were strewn about the floor in a crumpled fashion. Crinkles, wrinkles, and fabric bumps revealed the sight of the clothes in disarray to two blue orbs. Two outfits stood out among the rest for the beholder of the sight._

_One of the outfits seemed old and worn. The material looked to be scratchy and most likely irritating to the skin. The outfit's colors were white and red; a clash of symbolic colors._

_Red symbolized taint or lust, while white symbolized innocence and peace. The outfit fit perfectly for the one that wore it before; a woman meant to represent purity and peace, yet she held a tainted heart._

_The other outfit was one with many stitches from the rips and tears it suffered from its many travels. A perfect arrangement of symbolic colors filled the design of the outfit. A white shirt stood for a pure soul, a red bow for the tiny bit of taint that haunts the heart, and a green skirt for a tinge of envy._

_"Alright, which one should I burn first?" Kagome said aloud as her eyes narrowed. If she was able to eat her thoughts, they'd have a bitter taste._

_Kagome sighed and slumped onto her clumps pf clothes with a pout on her face. Her eyes shut slowly as she calmed herself. The door to her room cautiously creaked open as a head peaked in._

_"Oh my… What's going on in here?" Kagome's mother questioned as she eyed the state of Kagome's room. The middle-aged woman shuffled about around the wads of clothes and picked up a shirt hanging precariously on a lamp. _

_"I was picked out something to wear, and I guess I got carried away," Kagome mumbled as she opened one eye. Kagome's mother simply nodded her head at Kagome's reply and placed the now folded shirt of Kagome's bed._

_"Well, I just wanted to tell you that Eri's on the phone for you," Kagome's mother said as she handed phone over to her daughter. Kagome opened both eyes and reached an arm up to grasp it in her hand. The "excitable" teenage girl eyed the phone for a moment before placing it by her ear. _

_"Hello?" Kagome asked tiredly into the phone as Kagome's mother slipped out of the room. After watching her mother's exit, Kagome's eyes shifted back to the ceiling fans spinning blades._

_"Hey girl!" came the slightly irritating cheery reply from Eri, "I just felt like checking up on you. You know, see what's happening!" _

_"My how entirely generous of you to waste time talking to me," Kagome retorted as her other arm curled around her head for support._

_"What's with the attitude? I just wanted to inform you about the school field trip today," Eri said. Kagome huffed aloud into the phone before flicking a sock into the air that had been lying on her leg._

_"Oh yes, I am an entire need of an attitude adjustment. Here let me take the dial shoved up my butt and give it a little twist to make me more tolerable. A field trip? Oh, joy is filling my veins…" Kagome bit out._

_"Wow, bite off my head, why don't you? Why the hostility? More boyfriend troubles?" Eri snapped back._

_Kagome knew she should have bit her tongue. She should have not said anything back. She should have bitten her tongue so hard it bled, but she didn't. Instead, she blew up._

_An eruption of fast, almost incoherent, words flew from Kagome's and into the phone as she shot up from the floor. Boyfriend? Ha, what Boyfriend? Sure, Kagome had played out Inuyasha was her boyfriend, but oh how he wasn't. He was so far away from being a boyfriend, that Kagome didn't even have a word for it. Well she did, but not a word she would use publicly._

_Boyfriends are supposed to be supportive and caring. Boyfriends are supposed to not use their girlfriend's abilities for their own gain. Boyfriends were not meant to run off and mess around with other girls when their girlfriend's backs are turned. Boyfriends are supposed to love their girlfriends'. _

_A groan left Kagome's mouth as she eyed the poor defenseless phone that was laying in pieces on the floor. Kagome crouched over the pathetic object that was once a phone and picked up the pieces. Kagome cradled the pieces of the phone in her palms before dumping them into the trash bin. _

_"I have a feeling this will be a bit harder to explain that time… 'He' broke my alarm clock," Kagome muttered under her breath as she flopped into her desk chair. Her hands crept their way to the top of the desk before her fingers began to tap against the wood._

_Cerulean orbs fell to the dials of the radio. One of the hands that took a pause in tapping the table went over and clicked the stereo on. Light fuzz and beeps came from the speakers as Kagome switched around the stations till she found one she liked. Perhaps, some music could calm her down. She stopped changing channels as a familiar tune hit her ears._

_"Wow, I haven't heard this song in a while…" Kagome said lightly as she let the songs words fill her ears and her mind._

"_**Look at me**_

_**You may think you see**_

_**Who I really am,**_

_**But you'll never know me,"**_

_Something clicked on in Kagome's brain, and she began to truly listen to the song for the first time. A wave of familiarity came over Kagome as she listened to the words._

"**_Everyday,_**

**_It's as if I play a part.  
Now I see_**

_**If I wear a mask**_

_**I can fool the word,**_

_**But I can not fool my heart,"**_

_An image of Sesshomaru popped into Kagome's mind as she heard these lines in the song. Everyone fears him or hates him, not including Rin. Yet, he continues to play the part of a person with a heart of ice; Kagome knew there was more to him than that. She knew there was something more behind that frosty mask he wore._

"**_Who is that girl I see_**

_**Staring straight back at me?**_

_**When will my reflection show?**_

_**Who I am inside,"**_

_An image of Kikyo flickered in Kagome's mind and she bit her lip. Did she and Kikyo really look so similar? Or was it that illusion she continued to believe in that kept people thinking they were similar? Perhaps, Kikyo and Kagome's connection in order to severe not only relies in their shared soul, but the belief they are the same._

"**_I am now  
In a world where I have to hide my heart  
And what I believe in_**

**_  
But somehow  
I will show the world  
What's inside my heart  
And be loved for who I am"_**

_The first part seemed to apply to Sesshomaru more in Kagome's mind. He loved that girl he talked about with her, yet for some reason he hid his heart from that girl and everyone else. The second part seemed more directed towards Kagome, however, because it showed her new determination; the determination that would soon take her to be appreciated for being herself._

"**_Who is that girl I see  
staring straight back at me  
Why is my reflection  
Someone I don't know  
Must I pretend that I'm   
Someone else for all time,"_**

_Kagome almost laughed at the ironic likenesses between her and the song. She wasn't planning on being confused with her…no, wasn't going to deal with Kikyo's past any longer. Kagome was ready to no longer be a shadow of her soul's past life. She was ready to be her own person._

"**_There's a heart that must be free to fly  
That burns with a need to know   
The reason why  
Why must we all conceal  
What we think  
How we feel._**

**_  
Must there be a secret me  
I'm forced to hide  
I won't pretend that I'm  
Someone else for all time…"_**

_Kagome's head now rested on the top of the desk as she listened to the last words drift off from the speakers. She was over-come with some odd feeling she couldn't describe. All she knew was that things were going to be different. She was ready to change herself for the better, and she had a stronger feeling to thank Sesshomaru._

_It was odd to want to thank a past enemy, but she felt he deserved it. He opened up a whole new world to her that she hadn't seen. However, Kagome still felt upset about her and Sesshomaru's last meeting. She almost felt stupid for getting her hopes up for the love of that demon lord; especially when she didn't even know why'd she'd be hopeful for his affection._

_Kagome decided that it must have been her want for attention and acceptance that brought up the hope for love. A need of certain attentions she had been deprived of since her constant travels through time. A girl just wanted a guy to notice her in that special way only they can. Kagome sighed._

"_This orange hoodie looks nice…" Kagome mumbled as bent over in her desk-chair to pick it up from the ground, "now what will go with it?"_

………………_... … … _

Large stone steps made up the path-way to the castle atop the enormous hill. Eyes peered around the area to observe its many sights. One of which were the many tall and big dog statues scattered about. A large sign stood in front of the group of school students. It hovered over them with bold painted red letters that were slowly being chipped away from the years that had passed. One of the students mouthed the words printed on the sign before speaking them aloud.

"Welcome to Inuyama-Jo (Dog Mountain Castle)," Kagome quoted as she continued to stare up at the sign. A strange feeling swept over her as these words escaped her lips. Something felt eerily familiar about this place, yet she was sure she'd never been here before. Her eyes fell to the grey and red stone path as she tried to shake off this feeling of Déjà vu.

"Yes, Miss Higurashi. We are now standing at the entrance of Inuyama-Jo, one of the oldest castles in Japan. The date at which it was originally constructed is still debated; but of course we'll learn more about that once we get inside, won't we class?" the teacher spat as he glared around the students before ascending up the stone path.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Yuka asked as she eyed the puzzled girl. Kagome blinked her eyes and bit her lip, before releasing a breath.

"It's nothing really. I just got this really weird vibe," Kagome answered as her gaze to rest on one of the dog statues. There were two dog statues standing at the entryway. They were almost like ancient guards frozen forever in stone. Eyes stern, teeth bared, and ears back; they were prepared for battle.

Kagome's body tensed at the thought. Battle was a strong word in her mind. The word made the definition of it even more impending sounding. She was getting ready for her own battles in the near future or past to be precise. Time was a fickle thing.

"Kagome, Come on we're waiting for you!" shouted Eri down at her from further up the path. Kagome shook her head for getting lost in thought again. Thinking this much could take a hold on her.

Kagome continued up the path to reach her friends, while gazing intently at the canine soldiers as she passed them by. As the small group of girls continued their ascent up the stone path, their eyes fell to their large school group cluttering around the information booth.

It was an odd sight to see from their stand-point. The teacher seemed highly irritated, the boys of the class were in a slump, and the girls were twittering like happy little birds. Kagome could barely see through the mob of her schoolmates as she watched her teacher tap on the glass of the information booth in irritation. This made her slightly confused until she heard the chattering of the girls around her.

"That guy working the booth is so hot" a random girl cooed, "and him just sleeping in there is adorable,"

Kagome's friends' had mischievous looks on their faces as they heard these words. They began to push her through the crowd with them, so they could get a peak at this guy. They stopped a little before the booth as they watched their teacher grumble and stomp his foot. An almost growl-like noise left the teachers mouth as he walked away to calm himself. The girls took this chance to approach the booth and peer inside through the glass. Kagome's heart almost stopped.

The young man sitting in the booth looked to be no older than they were, and the guy wasn't cute. He was gorgeous! The boy's slender body leaned against the desk, with his arms propping his head as it ladled to the side as he slept.

He had short spiky black hair that stopped just before the end of his ear. His dark bangs shadowed his closed eyes. His dark hair seemed to contrast beautifully with his almost ethereal light skin. Kagome thought the young man almost looked like a sleeping puppy. After this thought, the boy awoke revealing honey-brown eyes that stared back at her. Kagome's heart fluttered in her chest.

"May I help you?" he asked silkily as he lifted his head. Kagome's friends' swooned as Kagome just stood there speechless. A smirk appeared on the young man's face; he appeared very amused. Words tried to escape Kagome's mouth, but she never got a chance.

"Finally, it's about damn time. You should be fired for this kind of thing," the teacher shouted as he approached the booth, "I have a class here that has been waiting for you to wake the hell up, so that I may get a tour going. So, let us in!"

The young man just sighed and pushed a button that opened the gate to the castle. He handed the grumpy teacher a map, and watched as the teacher herded the class through the gate. The teacher looked back as he led his class to give the young man a good glare.

Even as her friends left her, Kagome just stood there in silence. She eyed the young man in front of her again as a light began to spread across her cheeks. The young man noticed Kagome hadn't moved and smiled up at her.

"Hi!" Kagome squeaked before shutting her mouth tightly in embarrassment. The young man's eye-brow rose in question. Then his smile grew and he began to laugh out lightly.

"Hello," he replied back as he lowered his head to the desk again, letting his lean muscular arms prop up his head to look at her. Kagome smiled shyly.

"My names Kagome," she said timidly as she seemed to fall into the depths of his honey-brown eyes. The young man's head began to loll to the side again as he nodded, letting a Cheshire smile spread across his face.

"Well… Miss Kagome, I believe you might want to catch up with the rest of the class," the young man said in a charming tone as his Cheshire smile came back full force. That smile sent Kagome through a loop. Her heart must have been doing back-flips.

"Well, um. Good-bye! Farewell! See ya! Tootles!" Kagome shouted breathlessly as she fluttered to the gate, gazing back now and again to look at the handsome young man. The young man looked on as she disappeared behind the gate and onward.

A single finger pressed the button to close the gate. A sigh escaped the young man's lips as he watched the gates close. His eyes never wavered from the spot where Kagome left. He was going to have to restrain himself a little bit longer, yet he wanted so badly to follow.

……………………………

The picture hung elegantly in the dimly lit room. From all the many eyes peering at it, only one mind thought how much beautiful it must have been if it wasn't in this museum like setting. The rich colors were blended perfectly in the painting, and the inner and mysterious meanings underlining the picture made it all the more intriguing. It was simply divine…

"As you see class, above us hangs one of the most interesting and controversial pieces of the castle. The name of the piece is called "Rain Drops". It is believed that the painting was actually created 200 years previous before the construction of the castle, but it is unsure of how it came to end up in the castle. Yet class, if you can pay close attention you can see something slightly off about the picture. Can anyone point out what is odd about the picture?" the teacher asked in the middle of his lecture. The many different eyes began to study the picture once more.

The outer layers of the painting and the background were mostly dark and deep navy blues with some variations in certain places. In the center of the piece stood a solemn looking soul. It looked like a young woman with golden hair, yet there were streaks of blue in it as well. A tear drop tattoo or marking was under one of her eyes, which seemed to be staring off into the heavens. At the young woman's waist, she held cupped hands; in her hands were a million tiny pebbles.

Kagome's mind swirled as she eyed the picture. Her eyes traveled to a part of the picture that somewhat off-set her. The deep blues somewhat filtered away un-evenly into a light green and then yellow. Another young woman stood profile in the lighter half. A smile graced the young woman's lips and pink puffs, mostly likely cherry blossom petals, floated about her.

Another odd feeling gripped Kagome as she eyed this part of the picture. The familiarity of it caused an invisible chill to slither down her spine. Yet, she didn't feel anything of ill-intent, but it was just so strange to her. Certain similarities in the picture striked her as bizarre. However, she didn't let these faze her as she answered her teacher.

"The different shading and the different feelings of the picture, compared from the one woman in the center and the other to the right corner. Also, the mix of colors look like the woman in the right corner wasn't a part of the original piece, or was unintentional," Kagome remarked.

"You are correct Miss Higurashi. For a dilly dallier, you catch on quite quickly" the teacher said before continuing, "the reason you most likely think that it was un-intentional is that it wasn't. Until long after, the original piece was painted. The young woman in the center is believed to be 800 years old, yet the girl in the right corner is only about 500 years old. Scientists' and Historians' are still puzzled by this mystery till this day. They un-sure as to why the second part of the piece was incorporated into the piece. However, our only clue is the bottom right corner,"

Eyes shifted to this corner and a gasp was heard. An un-noticed piece of the puzzle was laying there in the picture. It was a gray stone, hardly thought to be important, unless you observed very crucially. There were words painted in the picture to make it appear as if they had been chiseled into the stone. The words were barely visible from so many years, but they were discernable. They read 'Never Lose Hope'.

"Yes, this is why you must always pay close attention to the piece. That tiny piece of information connected this piece to the legend of the Castle's pond. I'll explain more of this once we head into the Gardens. That is where the pond lies. Come now Class," the teacher said.

The class began to skitter out another door, but once again Kagome was left standing. Her gaze fell to the painting now. The woman in the right corner left her so curious. It left her curious, because it appeared like another person whom looked like her. The ebony hair flowed down the young woman's shoulders and her dazzling blue eyes shone brightly. The blue eyes made it so, curious. Kagome was known to be special for her blue eyes, yet here was a picture with a woman with the same likeness.

"Simply entrancing, isn't it?" spoke a familiar smooth voice. The voice stroke a cord in Kagome and it also startled her. One of her arms swung back as she wobbled backwards to see the owner of the voice. The arm smacked one of the exhibits tipping it over. Kagome watched in horror as an almost ancient thimble started making its way to the ground. A quick hand grasped it and placed it back where it belonged.

"You know if I wasn't here, and that thimble did managed to make it all the way to the ground, you'd be in a heap of trouble. It's called damaging museum property," spoke the voice jokingly. Kagome's cheeks began to heat up again. It was the young man from the information booth. His honey-brown eyes almost looked golden in this light.

"It's you…" Kagome whispered as she brought her hands to her face. A thought swept through her mind and her hands fell to her side. Why was she being so weak lately? Why was she letting a guy effect her? She was supposed to be stronger now.

"Hello, my name is Ai," the young man said smiling with an outstretched hand. Kagome nodded and took his hand in hers. His hand nearly wrapped over her entire hand, because it was so much larger than hers. She looked up into his eyes and he nodded back as a light left him. She liked the sound of his laughter.

"It's nice to meet you again, Ai" Kagome said sweetly as her small petite hand left his large rough ones. She watched as his gaze fell to the picture and her eyes followed. It was a very beautiful picture, but the center young woman's story appeared to be sad. Her eyes widened again. She had to catch up to her class again. Her teacher was going to explain it. A gasp escaped her throat as she began rushing to the door, but stopped suddenly.

"Good-bye Ai!" Kagome said as she left his sight again. Ai didn't particylarly like the feeling he got as he watched Kagome leave his sight again. It didn't set well with him at all, but he supposed her should get used to it for now. He knew she knew what it felt like to be walked away from. A smirk found its way to his lips.

"Farewell for now, Kagome…"

…………..

There were so many flowers. An abundance of them filled this grandeur garden. The garden's beauty was immeasurable; and the twists and turns it created made it appear an immaculate and colossal maze. After walking through the immense maze-like garden you'll find yourself in the center where a pond sits placid and calm.

That is where the class had found itself. They huddled about the small enclosure with eyes on their teacher. Their hands clung to the guardrails surrounding the pond as they listened intently to their teacher. Dragon flies buzzed around, butterflies fluttered about, and the water lilies looked pristine white. Life seemed to cling to this area, yet that thought contradicted the chilling legend surrounding the pond.

"The legend of the water maiden is what separates this pond from any other. It is said that a spirit of a young maiden haunts these waters. She died here, but her spirit never found peace," the teacher spoke in a low tone meant to set a mood for the tale.

"How did she die here?" asked one of the students curiously as her gaze fell to the waters sparkling form the sun-light dripping through the trees shadowing it. Kagome listened in as well as to what her teacher would say. She felt odd about this place, among almost everything else in the castle.

"Well, there in lies the tragedy. She died by her own hand," the teacher spoke as an array of gasps was heard, but before anyone could ask why she herself; he continued, "The reason she killed herself was because of un-requited love. She was so dreadfully heart-broken from seeing her love in the arms of another that she ended her life,"

It grew somewhat silent for a moment and all the students looked on into the waters. Most of the students didn't understand why someone would die for love, yet sadness shown through their eyes for the girl in the legend. Kagome, however, was very shaken by this. It sounded somewhat familiar. The thought of dying for someone you love.

"My students that is not all to the story, as I said earlier this is one of the pieces to the mystery of the painting. Yet, although it might answer one question or give us one clue, it leaves many more questions following. If you look to the side of the lake, there lies a rock. The rock here is slightly worn and somewhat hard to read, but inscribed into it are the same words in the painting. 'Never Lose Hope'. People are still puzzled by this even today. This due to the fact that the person whom they think wrote it was the girl in the legend; and for one to ask that we don't lose hope when she takes her life, is somewhat odd. Historians believe it was a try at bringing peace in the warring times of Japan, but again we're still unsure," the teacher dragged on, taking a moment and here to breathe.

Kagome bit her lip as she got swept away in thought. It was a baffling concept. It left her with many stray thoughts and feelings. All of this was so overwhelming. She had no idea why a mere painting and legend could move her this way, but it had.

The class started to move away again. It was time to go back to the city. However, apparently was going to make staying behind a habit. A sound came to Kagome's ear and she stopped from walking with the rest of the class. Was that a voice? Her head turned around to face the pond as she heard the voice again. The voice was very faint and light. She walked closer and peered over to the edge. Kagome eyes widened and she tried holding back the scream she wanted to release.

There was a face in the water. A face that she had not seen, but minutes before. It was the young woman from the picture. The solemn soul standing in the center that held the millions of tiny pebbles. Her head was tilted to the side as a light smile came to her face, but the smile was a melancholy one.

"Hello Kagome," the young woman greeted in the same light voice. Kagome faltered and she gasped as her hands nearly bent the medal of the fence surrounding the pond by the way her hands gripped it. She was fully surprised.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" Kagome all but whispered. The young woman looked confused, but then seemed to realize something. The rippling face in the water seemed to think about something for a moment before speaking.

"This must be our first time meeting for you Kagome. I shall meet you for the first time in the past. I cannot delve any further into this, because in doing so, I might change history. My name is Nozomi," the young woman said. Kagome seemed to take in this information and then felt the urge to ask something.

"Are you the water maiden in the legend?" Kagome asked, when Nozomi nodded Kagome continued, "Why did you kill yourself?"

Nozomi seemed to sigh a moment and her face fell to a sorrowful look. Kagome felt a built guilty for asking now; the young woman seemed so broken up about. Yet, it had been so many years since the incident.

"That is a long story…" Nozomi said.

"I'm all ears," Kagome commented back. Nozomi gave Kagome a curious look before figuring out the meaning of the odd phrase Kagome used. She merely sighed and seemed to prepare herself for the tale.

"I believe it started when I saw my love in the arms of another woman…"

………………………..

_Nozomi was free to go out for leisure time today. She was preparing to surprise Sesshomaru with another gift. She thought a bouquet of different wild flowers would be lovely. People still ridiculed her mercilessly that she had been the cause of the queen's death, but she had just ignored them. Sesshomaru had said she hadn't done anything wrong and she believed in him than she did anyone else. _

_Nozomi had also been working on another special gift for Sesshomaru. She had found a pond in the nearby forest where there were many smooth stones. She had found one about medium size. It was a very pretty stone. It would make an exceptional present. She absolutely sure that Sesshomaru shared her same interest with nature._

_A pretty red flower lay in the distance. Nozomi skipped to it as her bare feet became dirtier with every step. She smiled as her petite fingers gripped the stem and snapped off the flower and adding it to the other flowers. _

_Suddenly she sensed Sesshomaru nearby. A smile crossed her face, but when she looked to where she sensed him her smile faltered. There was another girl with him. She knew from where she was that it was a demoness, and a noble one at that. What was that other girl up to?_

_Sesshomaru looked to be leaning into the girl. What was he doing? Nozomi's heart stopped beating for a moment as she watched Sesshomaru's lips descend onto the demoness. A whimper left Nozomi's mouth. Why? The wild flowers fell to the ground from which they grew. Nozomi ran away…_

_For weeks later, she would spend all her free hours chiseling into the rock she was going to give to Sesshomaru as a present. At first it had taken her a while to figure out what to write, and during that time she avoided Sesshomaru at all cost. After a while she finally knew what to write. Nozomi managed to finish chiseling what would be her last words into the stone._

_She placed the stone by the pond, before she did what she had to do. She just wanted Sesshomaru to know that he should never lose hope. She hoped that he would be happy with the one woman that was worthy enough to love him. A single tear slipped down Nozomi's cheek. It was time._

_Her eyes closed as she stepped into the water. She had taken thread from the sewing room and tied it to some larger rocks. She pushed the rocks in and prepared to follow them. She breathed in deeply and one last mournful smile crept onto her face. She was sad to be leaving, but happy at the thought she would soon be coming back to her queen._

_Nozomi took the plunge…_

……………………….

"You drowned yourself?" Kagome stuttered as horror filled her eyes. She looked back on things she had done and could only shake her head. Wasn't she another person that earlier had wished to leave the world through death? A shudder ran through Kagome's body.

"Not technically. I merely succumbed to my element. I embraced it to the fullest, and with that I became a part of it. It was not actually what I had intended, but in the end I suppose it was the best. I was able to do what I always wanted to do. I was able to give many people hope by giving them the nectar of life," Nozomi said as she lifted her hand if only to create a ripple on the waters edge. Kagome grew quiet for a moment.

"What do you mean by element? I also noticed in you tale how you said that your lover was with a demoness. Would that make you a half-demon?" Kagome asked. Nozomi nodded her ghost-like head as her eyes met with Kagome's once more. Kagome felt compelled to say something else.

"I am terribly sorry what ended up happening. I somewhat know how it feels to see your love in the arms of another. It is possibly the most terrible thing in the world and most likely hurts the most," Kagome said as her eyes went elsewhere. Nozomi tilted her head and her eyes became half-lidded.

"Kagome, I'm sorry to say that is not the most terrible thing in the world. I must also say there is something I left out of the story," Nozomi said softly. Kagome's eyes focused back on Nozomi. She was confused now.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked. Nozomi looked like she breathed in before she spoke as if it was very painful to tale about. She seemed to think about something for a moment, before actually speaking to Kagome.

"Surprisingly the words I most wanted to hear, did not sound as sweet…when he said I love you to someone else," Nozomi said. Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped. That was possibly the most terrible thing. A shuffling sound was heard and Kagome watched as Nozomi began to fade away.

"Someone is coming…" Nozomi whispered before completely disappearing. Kagome watched as the legendary Water Maiden left her, before feeling a hand on her shoulder. A scream broke out from Kagome's mouth.

"Whoa now. I was just sent out to find you," Ai cried as he eyed Kagome. Kagome blushed brightly and shook her head. She found this slightly embarrassing, but then she went over what Ai had just said.

"Sent out to find me?" Kagome questioned. Ai nodded and his Cheshire smile came back on full-force. Kagome's blush heightened slightly more, but her eyes told Ai she wanted further explanation.

"Well, since you seem to like to just stand around, your teacher and classmates almost left you behind. You've been gone for about 15 minutes, so they sent me to look for you. You're teacher said I had time to spare anyway while goofing off," Ai ended while laughing. Kagome smiled and started to giggle as well.

"Yeah. Anyhow, I have to get going home as well. So you Miss Kagome should start heading back to your classmates. I've got to get back to my wife…" Ai trailed off as he started stopping himself. Kagome was somewhat shocked. His wife?

"Aren't you too young to have a wife? Is she pretty?" Kagome asked without thinking. Ai blew through his teeth as his eyes fell to the sky. His honey-brown eyes met back with Kagome's and he smirked.

"You seem to assume much about people. I might look young, but it doesn't mean I am. And yes, She is quite a beautiful girl," he said almost dreamily while staring into Kagome's eyes. Kagome licker her lips and her cheeks began to redden again.

"Well she must be one lucky girl," Kagome said.

"The luckiest…" Ai said looking deeper into Kagome's eyes before looking down. His eyes fell to his watch as he checked the time. Sliding around on his feet he began walking away from Kagome before waving off.

"Good-bye Kagome!" Ai said as he started to travel further away from Kagome. Kagome waved him off and sighed. The good guys were always taken. That's what Kagome was thinking.

"Sesshomaru…" came Nozomi's voice from the pond. Kagome's heart-wrenched and she turned around almost falling over. She ran back to the edge of the pond and looked down at Nozomi with a bewildered expression spread across her face.

"How do you know Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. Nozomi seemed surprised by this and her mouth formed a thin line. It was as if she was debating whether or not to tell Kagome. Her eyes looked toward the sky and then her gaze fell back to Kagome.

"Sesshomaru was my lover…"

…………………………

**_I finished!!!!! I'm so so so so sorry that I didn't finish this sooner. My life has been utterly hectic and I wanted to give you guys a long chapter to enjoy. I also decided to make this chapter slightly lighter and added a bit of fluff. Hee hee I hope you enjoyed it, and again I apologize for the wait._**


	9. Cries of a Warrior

_**"Do I still love you? Absolutely. There is not a doubt in my mind. Through all my mind, my ego... I was always faithful in my love for you. That I made you doubt it, that is the great mistake of a life full of mistakes..." -Life as a House (Movie)**_

"_**You can't change the past. What hurts the most is that you can't be in my future," – Unknown**_

…_**.**_

Eyes stern and scrutinizing, he watched as the last touches were being added to the project. Sweat slicked the workers bodies as they hefted the blocks. They began ascending up the stone path to the nearly finished castle. It was almost complete.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Inuyama castle is almost done being built. We apologize with the delay, but the rain has been troublesome," one of the workers in charge informed Sesshomaru.

The great Inuyoukai looked to his master-piece nearly a century in the making, and it was almost complete. His people say that it will be a major mark of his rule and a step closer to conquering his empire. The worker noticed Sesshomaru had yet to speak, and began retreating back over to the construction to continue overviewing the other workers.

Sesshomaru let out a sigh as he began to walk the other way. His head was held high which let the silver-like tendrils flutter in the wind. His golden eyes were darkening with each foot-fall as his mind began to wander. His followers saw the castle as a step towards the future, but he found the creation reflecting his past.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin cheered as she rushed over to the demon lord. Her brown eyes were sparkling with happiness and wonder; and a tiny flower was clasped in her hands.

Sesshomaru's gaze fell to Rin's shining face and his clawed hand reached out to pat her head. Rin giggled with glee and waved the tiny flower in the air. She almost looked victorious of something as the tiny flower flopped in her grasp.

"Rin picked this for you Sesshomaru-sama," Rin said as her eyes sparkled with mirth. At this, Sesshomaru let a lone nearly invisible smile shone on his face, yet the smile was a melancholy one. An innocent insignificant blossom could speak volumes of different emotions and thoughts. A flower could tell a powerful story.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin mutter while eyeing her lord with questioning eyes; Sesshomaru focused his attention back onto the girl, "My lord, will your new home have a garden?"

Was there to be a garden? This prospect had never occurred to Sesshomaru before. Then again, he never had a reason to build one. Why would he want to? It had no tactical strategy or back up logic for it. What purpose would it serve?

"I imagine there will be no garden," Sesshomaru finally answered, as they began walking away from the construction. When his eyes fell back to his ward, she seemed disappointed with his answer. The young girl huffed and started skipping up ahead of Sesshomaru. Her bare feet pounded against the ground.

Some odd feeling crept over Sesshomaru's body, and crawled through his skin like a million tiny insects. This feeling unsettled him, yet he wasn't entirely sure what was amiss. He didn't sense anything. His eyes fell back to Rin as she continued walking farther in the woods.

"I love the flowers…" Rin all but whispered. That's when the Great Demon Lord heard it. The sound of flowing water came to Sesshomaru's elf-like ears. Something symbolizing life, but it merely haunted him. His body tensed up and fists clenched.

"Rin go no further…" Sesshomaru seemed to plead while still holding his emotionless mask. She hadn't heard him or pretended not to, and skipped behind the trees to where she could see a pond. The water looked clear and untouched. The little girl smiled and glided her finger on the surface of the water.

Sesshomaru could only stare at the scene dumbfounded as his eyes fell to the pond. His golden orbs widened a miniscule and his heart began to beat rapidly, but still no emotion would etch onto his features. Rin plopped beside the pond and started manipulating the water more.

"Rin I demand you leave this place at once," Sesshomaru said in a commanding voice. He normally wouldn't use this tone with Rin, but he wished to escape this place as soon as possible. This place brought out an emotion within himself that he wasn't normally accustom to, Fear.

"Why must I go Sesshomaru-san?" Rin pouted as she stood up slowly with a bit of a wobble. Sesshomaru merely gave her a cool look while attempting to calm him on the inside. Rin had yet to move from her spot till something caught her eye.

The young girl bounded off to the other edge of the pond. Her eyes glowed with wonder as she bent down to grasp a large stone. Sesshomaru's hand clenched and blood began to trickle down his hand. She lifted it up to show her lord.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" Rin could not say anymore as the great taiyoukai came upon her. Rin's eyes widened. She had never seen her lord so angered.

Sesshomaru's teeth were bared. His eyes were illuminating red. His clawed hand ripped the stone from her tiny hands. Tremors of growls shook him. Rin clasped her hands to her chest and stepped backwards. Never before had she seen him this way; even when they first met he had not been this ferocious.

"Leave my presence at once girl," Sesshomaru growled out gruffly. Rin took his words seriously now, and hurried off into the trees to find Jaken. She was upset, yet she was aware her lord seemed more so.

His iron-like grip on the stone loosened. The great lord appeared to sink down by the pond. In the end, he stood on one knee. His clawed hand released the stone and it fell down to clack against the other rocks. His eyes began to fade into gold. The feeling of fear was gone now and replaced with terrible sadness.

"My walls are held high. My strength will not crumble. My emotions will never be shown for the world to see again, even as you attempt to break me. I merely wonder as to why you mock me even after you are gone..." Sesshomaru spoke softly into the still water of the pond.

….

_Light from the window danced on the mirror and sparkled against the glass. Serious stone-like eyes stared back. Armor that barely fit clung to the pristine robes he now wore. His mouth formed a thin line. Sesshomaru did not recognize the person looking back at him from the mirror. A sigh escaped his lips and the person in the mirror disappeared. _

_ "I can't let my enemies know what I'm thinking. The rules are to never show an emotion. Emotions show you have a weakness. I must build my minds defenses up so that none may cross me," Sesshomaru said aloud._

_ His eyes traveled to a glass vase on a side table by the window. Sun-light rippled on the water in the glass. A single white flower leaned into the side of the vase. The flower was another gift. The thought made Sesshomaru smile. A single petal fell off the flower and floated to the ground._

_ "I suppose even love won't be able to scale these walls I build either…" Sesshomaru whispered on his lips. His eyes fell from the delicate flower as his expression hardened once more. It was his last preparation before stepping out his chamber door._

_ Foot-step by foot-step the young lord glided down the hall. Servants scattered as he passed them. Fear was a tool he was unaccustomed to. He only wished for respect rather than fear, but he supposed that would come with time. After a while of walking down the seemingly endless hallway, Sesshomaru found the first servant that hadn't run away._

_ She was hunched over the floor with a scrub brush in her hand and a bucket full of water by her side. Even as her golden hair shaded her face, he knew she was content as a smile graced her face with each splash of water. She put effort into every stroke of the brush onto the hard floor. She paused in her work to look up at Sesshomaru with her dazzling eyes, which caused his own eyes to soften at the sight._

_ "How sweet that my presence causes your emotions to shine for me, my darling," an unctuous somewhat unfamiliar voice cooed. Sesshomaru's view of Nozomi; was now blocked by something…_

_ His golden eyes narrowed and he stepped back slightly. His gaze fell to the synthetic creature before him. Sadly, the young lord knew this nuiscense. He began to think for a moment about the non-sense that just sprouted from her mouth. A growl left his throat._

_ The ice demoness in front of him lifted a brow as a smirk crossed her face. Sky-line colored hair trailed down her back and her hands stayed propped on her voluptuous hips. The only reason this "thing" was in his face was do to the fact that she was the daughter of a lower-lord. The second reason was do to the ridiculous notion that she believed he was madly in love with her._

_ "Oh servant, kindly leave our presence," the demoness snipped. A simple nod was Nozomi's reply. Sesshomaru's eyes went blank at the current situation just brought about. Yet, he did not have enough time to react._

_ Nozomi merely picked up her cleaning supplies and stood up. Her eyes continued to be covered by her golden hair and she bowed before Sesshomaru and the Demoness. In a light voice she warned that the floor was still wet and to be careful. The other demoness began to sneer._

_ "I will need no warning from such a weak being. You're a sickening thing that should be glad that you were given existence, although your life is worthless anyhow. Leave our presence, be glad I bothered giving you any acknowledgement you hideous beast," the feminine diva snapped giving a low cackle._

_ Sesshomaru stiffened and a rage began building inside him. Nozomi only bent her head lower without a word and scuttled off. The ice demoness smirked and turned her head back to her "beloved". She was startled to find a red-shined pair of eyes staring back at her._

_ "You are the one that should have left, Kari. You are a nascence that I should have been ridden of. That…young creature you insulted was of your kin," Sesshomaru growled out. Kari merely raised a brow and scoffed._

_ "As if that thing can be called my Kin," the presumptuous let out another scoff at the idea, "Just because my uncle made the repulsive mistake of bedding a human, does not mean she is worth anything to me,"_

_ "Impudent wench, leave my sight at once or I shall remove you myself," snarled Sesshomaru as his eyes darkened more to a red-wine hue. Kari eyed him curiously._

_ "I'm surprised by how upset you've become. Keep this up and I'm sure people will get the idea of you actually liking the hanyou," Kari said with a mischievous tone. Her comment was replied back with silence. She remained quiet as well as she watched his red eyes dim back to gold._

_ "Why would you assume such a thing?" Sesshomaru asked quietly as his gaze fell to the side. Kari's eyes widened and she seemed to perk up at this. The knowledge she just discovered could be used to her advantage._

_ "Although, they do say long ago you did hold some place in your heart for her," Kari said almost maliciously. There was another short silence before Sesshomaru replied back in a harsh whisper._

_ "Leave…"_

….

_The seal made sure to shut the contents off from the world, a painful tight wrap that threatened to strangle the things within its bindings. Emotions weld up behind a mask of ice. It was a cold and desolate wasteland that still held its beauty. Haunting ghostly gold eyes desperately holding back the thoughts that make them shine. Cascading silver hair fit for camouflage in the icy storms that bore down in Sesshomaru's heart._

_ He had become something unrecognizable in his own mind. He had become his own shadow. Sesshomaru was nothing but a silent emotionless bit of darkness in the world of light. Walking down the corridors in his new over-whelming silence he appeared a phantom cloaked in white._

_ Golden wisps of hair came into his line of vision. Her eyes met his. A sad smile came to her face and her eyes softened. Nothing changed in Sesshomaru's demeanor as he continued forward. Nozomi held out a flower in Sesshomaru's passing. Never before had she approached him to directly give her gift._

_ Again nothing changed. Sesshomaru never even glanced at the plant, nor did he look at Nozomi. He passed by as if the hanyou girl didn't even exist. Soon she was out of his line of vision and a pain shot through him on the inside. Just like he had done to Nozomi, he ignored it. The pain faded away._

_ The flower in Nozomi's grasp drooped as her arm went limp. It had taken all her courage to face him. Her ounce of courage seemed to amount to nothing however. Secretly she wondered where Sesshomaru had gone, for the creature that had passed her by moments before seemed to only master his beautiful face, and taint it with the look of an emotional shell._

_ A chill went through Nozomi as another figure turned into the corridor. She lifted her eyes and looked over at the other woman. Kari's eyes narrowed and her mouth curled into a scowl. The demoness swept a clawed hand through her long wintry tresses as she huffed. Her feet clicked on the ground till she stopped in front of Nozomi._

_ "You realize someone like him could never love you," the ice demoness said with a sound of contempt. A feeling of satisfaction filled Kari as she watched Nozomi's lips trembled. However, she was thrown off as she saw the smile creep onto the hanyou's face._

_ "What would a person like you know anything about love?" retorted Nozomi with the greatest amount of courage she never knew she possessed. Before she had time to react a palm came in contact with her cheek. Her small body toppled towards the ground. Being used to the abuse, it took only a minute to sit up on the floor as she looked up at her cousin._

_ "I know a lot more than a half-demon like you could ever wish to know. Love would never come your way. You are undeserving of any form of love. Disgraceful monsters such as you do not have the privilege to love themselves," Kari hissed as she stomped away glaring at Nozomi whom still sat on the ground._

_ Nozomi blinked and she took in a breath. She brought her knees closer to her body and wrapped her arms around them. Eyes looking gloomy she leaned her head back against the wall. Her cheek stung and she could feel the imprint of Kari's hand. One deep breath escaped her and the smile came back to her face._

_ "I have seen more hate sent my way than anything" she whispered on her lips, "but I have always managed to love so many things in this world, there is no room for hate in my heart,"_

_ Days passed listlessly after that moment. Nothing seemed to have changed. It continued to stay endlessly quiet. During one of these days of silence Sesshomaru found himself walking around outside his father's castle. His golden eyes soaked in all the nature around him. It seemed to have a calming effect, until he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders._

_ "I almost miss your words of defense for the hanyou, than this silence you incase yourself in," Kari said as her hair started mixing into Sesshomaru's silver locks. Sesshomaru continued to look un-fazed. The creation of his stone-like mask was almost complete._

_ "Why does such a thing as silence bother you?" Sesshomaru quipped. He began to remove himself from the ice demoness's hold. A sullen sigh escaped Kari's lips as she pulled away from the young demon prince._

_ "You lack any emotion at all. I am aware that is what is expected of a warrior, but it's almost as if you're not a person at all. It is slightly troubling to those of us that want your attention. I am un-sure if I can get any kind of reaction out of you Sesshomaru," Kari cooed shaking her head. She lifted it again to meet Sesshomaru's gaze._

_ Seeing that the prince didn't even blink at her words, Kari began to approach him. Her steps were slow, but confident. A smile graced her face as she tilted her head and let her flowing hair fall. She was a beautiful being, indeed, but her heart was not in the right place. A clawed hand reached out to cup Sesshomaru's cheek. Sesshomaru was taken-aback, but he did not move or protest. The demoness was bold enough to come in for a chaste kiss. _

_ "I love you, Sesshomaru," Kari said as she gazed into his eyes again. Yet, she was faced with no emotion. She could see nothing in his eyes. A hurt expression came to the demoness's face and her hand pulled back from Sesshomaru's face._

_ "I love you…" Sesshomaru repeated aloud, but his voice held not a hint of emotion. It was like reading out a line from a script; to the reader it meant nothing. However, as soon as these words left his lips he heard a shuffling sound in the distance. Sesshomaru turned his head to the foliage, but did not see a thing. All that faced him were the beating wings of birds as they scattered. Something had startled them._

_ "Sesshomaru," whispered Kari on her lips and catching the lord's attention again. A tear fell down her cheek, but Sesshomaru did not waver. He knew deep down in the pit of this creature's soul, she did not truly love him. Even if she did love the demon before her though, it wasn't for the right reasons._

_ "These feelings you have mean absolutely nothing. Feelings are useless in battle. Feelings truly serve no purpose" Sesshomaru stated, "It is best you rid these feelings of love now. There is no reason for it,"_

_ Kari scoffed stepping back from Sesshomaru. Her eyes narrowed and the tear gliding down her cheek was quickly wiped away. The stone-mask was shifting, but Sesshomaru took a handle on it. Nothing would stand in his way. He would take in his logic right away._

_ "You will regret these words Sesshomaru" Kari spat out, "I will gratefully enjoy the day justice is served, and you shall feel the cool sting of your own words,"_

_ "I highly doubt anything said here will bother to come haunt me later in life," Sesshomaru stated plainly._

…

_ There was a crinkle of paper as a scroll lay un-rolled upon the table. Pages swept by the golden eyes of the reader, like the weeks that had gone by after his incident with Kari. A thick layer of ice had incased itself around Sesshomaru's soul and emotions. Yet, newly formed ice can be easily cracked._

_ His father sat opposite of him, also reading the many documents and treaties splayed before them. It was a truly powerful demon that sat before Sesshomaru. Many years of war and battle had shaped the Great Taiyoukai. Sesshomaru highly respected his father and sought guidance from him as he was doing now._

_ They were both reading over things that had to do with the duty of the Lord of the west. It was a time of learning for Sesshomaru and he was taking in every moment. The day had been quiet and calm. Dark storm clouds had hovered outside, but the rain was such a trivial thing it didn't matter._

_ A hard knock was heard from the other side of the room by the door. It was a deep resounding noise that bounced off the walls. The knock was slow and deliberate, rather than fast and urgent. This seemed to present the notion that the news they would receive from the visitor was important, yet had already passed. The knock let a foreboding aura fill the room._

_ "Come in" boomed Touga's voice as he sat up straighter in his seat. Sesshomaru turned his head to the door, his mouth a thin grim line. This would be his first experience in hearing information being received. A breath escaped Sesshomaru's lips as a strange feeling crept into his stomach._

_ "My Lord," said the solider respectfully as came into the room slowly, "I bring grave news from your retainer Myoga,"_

_ The demon lord brought his fingers to his chin and held them there. His eyes seemed to harden and his face solidified into his own emotionless mask. This was the person that Sesshomaru most wanted to be like, his father. In this current state, his father almost seemed impenetrable._

_ "This news you have come to inform of must be very serious, if the little tick could not be in my presence to tell me of it himself," Touga spoke solemnly. The soldier gave a curt nod and waited for his turn to speak again. Sesshomaru continued to watch the scene un-fold before him._

_ "Yes My Lord, the news involves the daughter of Roka," the Soldier replied, he now had both the demon lord's and Sesshomaru's full attention, "I am here to regretfully inform you of her death,"_

_ The air was cold. Words that could have sprouted from their lips dried up in their mouths. Stillness came to the room. A fire slowly began to burn away at Sesshomaru's lungs, he realized he wasn't breathing. The ice around his heart was cracking. The frigid shards of ice pierced painfully into the beating muscle._

_ Sesshomaru turned to his father to try to find some explanation. The young lord's body was completely numb. Finding that he needed to breath again, his breathes came in and out torturously slow. His eyes were almost clouding over; he needed his father to say something. He needed anything other than this deathly silence._

_ "What are the circumstances of Nozomi's, Roka's Daughter's death?" questioned the great Taiyoukai somberly. This did not resolve Sesshomaru's problem; and only seemed to warp the numbness he felt into an internal fiery rage. What had caused the demise of the hanyou girl?_

_ "Her body was found in a pond out in the woods. From what evidence we could find, it would seem that Roka's daughter ended her own life" the solider stated, "we have not moved the body from the area of the pond, if you wish to go see the hanyou yourself,"_

_ A loud clack was heard as the chair Sesshomaru had been sitting in dropped towards the floor. His face held a quivering lip and his eyes stared blankly at nothing. Touga watched as his son turned his back before him and the soldier. The young lord's shoulders began to shake almost violently as he took slow and purposeful steps towards the door. Touga watched as the young demon disappeared into the corridor before turning towards the soldier and giving an affirmative nod._

_ He slowly rose from his seat. Walking over to the fallen chair, he sat it upright with one clawed hand. He moved at a steady pace and did everything with a precise touch. The great demon lord had no expression on his face, but his eyes showed his anguish. Seeing that he was done tidying up the room, Touga set off to find his son. He didn't need to worry of where to look, he knew exactly the place his son would be._

_ It took only a few minutes for Touga to reach the resting place of Nozomi. He looked towards his son who was now leaning over the still corpse of the girl. The young lord's shoulders had stopped shaking and now he sat there without movement. Touga stayed at his spot._

_ "She's so cold father," Sesshomaru spoke softly as his hand swept a strand of hair out the girl's lifeless eyes. His hand stopped to rest on her cheek. Her skin had lost all its color. Her once tangible skin stood out from the nature around it, with its pale onion color. Flesh as white as snow and just as cool._

_ A realization hit Sesshomaru as he leaned over the body of Nozomi. His eyes were beginning to sting. His face was tight. All his senses were telling him that he needed to do something, but an invisible force was not allowing him to do so. Was it because he had bottled his own emotions?_

_ "Father, why am I un-able to cry? Why are tears not able to flow from my eyes?" Sesshomaru asked just as softly as before. His head turned to his father that had stayed silent until then. The dark storm clouds from earlier began to drizzle down on them._

_ "Warriors are not made to cry. The heavens cry for you. True warriors are to only mourn when it rains. You hide your emotions to yourself, as I've said. Yet, when the rains come your emotions can be released. The thing about the rain is that it washes everything away," Touga said with a hint of remembrance, "it is what I do every time I think of your mother. I simply wait for the rain,"_

_ Sesshomaru seemed to contemplate this and he removed his hand from Nozomi's cheek. He sat down on the forest floor and eyed the once lively creature in front of him. The rain poured down harder and trailed down his silver locks. Sesshomaru's golden eyes darted towards the sky and allowed the water droplets to glide down his cheeks._

…

The golden arc of the sun was beginning to dip behind the trees. Many hours had passed since Jaken had last seen his lord. His was starting to become weary. Sure, Sesshomaru had even gone off for days at a time without telling him in the past; but with the last finishes of the castle being so near, the lord's presence was important.

Rin had told Jaken that the last time she had seen their lord that day was by a pond. The young human girl also mentioned that Sesshomaru seemed upset. Jaken found that slightly preposterous. As if his great leader would ever show a hint of emotion. Suddenly the little green toad spotted a piece of white silk.

The toad-like retainer grew excitable and hobbled over to his lord. The current dog demon lord had his back leaned against a tree and his eyes were closed. Sesshomaru's silver hair sparkled the last of the sun's illuminating rays and a soft breath left his lips.

"Lord Sesshomaru, What are you doing?" Jaken squawked questioningly. Sesshomaru's eyes slowly opened to reveal the deep amber orbs that had been hidden from view. The demon lord craned his neck to look at the sky and sighed.

"I am waiting for the rain…"

…

_** I promise to soon be adding more Sess/Kag fluff in the next chapter. Mind you, it might be towards the middle of the chapter, but there shall be fluff. I hope you liked this chapter, and I also hope you review. ^.^**_


	10. The Beginnings of Chaos

"_**Beginnings are sudden, but also insidious. They creep up on you sideways, they keep to the shadows, they lurk unrecognized. Then, later, they spring." – Margaret Atwood **_

………………………………………__

The leaves of the large tree shaded the figure below. Thin fingers gripped the cool hard stone surface of the bench that sat under the tree. The figures cerulean eyes stared up into the sky of pale blue. Her face was blank, and she seemed to be thinking deeply. A long breathe escaped her throat as her head bent down to stare at the ground.

Her fingers grazed against the rough edges of the stone bench as she continued to think. Ebony hair cascaded over her shoulder and covered her deep blue orbs from sight. The thoughts in her head were muddled and blotched. Things didn't seem to piece together right in her mind. A jumbled up puzzle was forming in her head, but information was missing.

"I continue to learn, but it feels as if I still have only met him for the first time…" Kagome whispered on her lips. She feared she would never understand Sesshomaru. She knew he could be cruel if need be, but not this cruel.

Shifting her position, Kagome stood up. Her eyes were set half-lidded as she continued to let her mind drift. Swinging her arm downwards she swept her large yellow back-pack onto her shoulder. Slow steady steps took her forward. Her head bobbed as she walked, tousling her hair in various directions.

The last remnants of nature passed her by. So much had been lost through the tales of time. She recognized the fact that time was supposed to change things; however she was only now so aware of how much did change. Instead of thick green foliage that shadowed most of the land in the past; there were sparse bits of green. Lone trees lost among the sea of concrete surrounding them; with only the unbearable beams of sun and relentless beating of rain to keep them company. Trees, once among a thousand similar friends, were to be left behind by others surely to have met their demise. In her current mind-set, Kagome began to pity the life of the lone trees.

The raven-haired girl had been so caught up in her thoughts; she was surprised to find she had reached the first league of her destination. A sigh escaped her lips. Eyes taking on a melancholy look she gazed upon the rickety old shack that held something so overwhelmingly important inside its confines. A hand crept up and rested on her chest above her heart. She gave a silent prayer for the lone trees lost to make the structure before her. She thought the gesture might appear childish, but to her it held infinitely more meaning.

Kagome's hand slowly left her chest to rub against the rough wood of the well-house door. The loud creak of the door sounded its years of age. It faced her now. It was the epitome of all that shrouded her soul. It was the key to an unimaginable world. It was the sacred object that held her life of disarray in its depths. It was the thing that bound her to a seemingly impossible task. It was nothing but a battered well to those that didn't know its secrets. Kagome faced the well back almost defiantly.

The contemplative look that was displayed moments before on Kagome's face was gone. It was replaced by a contorted and crooked expression instead. There was no exact emotion to put on the expression, except defiance. Her eyes were stern and seemed to shimmer with an inner fire. Yet, behind the shimmering flames lay a hidden sadness. Her mouth lay angled on her face; it was neither a straight grim line nor a deep frown. Her body told a different story.

The petite figure was tensed and rigid. Her feet were rooted towards the floor. Her mind told her to head forward, but the physical being refused. No matter of will-power would allow her to go an inch forward. An invisible force held her back. Kagome was beginning to question if what lay on the other side was truly important. A single thought struck her. It was that single thought that was just enough to push her forward.

Her feet shuffled against the dirt floor till she reached the lip of the well. Her deep blue eyes fell into the darkness of the pit in front of her. One leg lifted and placed itself on the other side of the lip of the well. One foot was now lost in the shadows, while the other took in the last bit of light from the crack of the door. Kagome swung the second leg over to where she was now sitting on the lip. With one deep breathe, she plunged into the abyss.

An illuminating light surrounded Kagome as she fell. She found it curious that from jumping into blackness, she would be greeted with brilliant light moments later. It was a surprising phenomenon. The only thing Kagome could correlate it to be, was the light at the end of the tunnel. It was the drop of sunshine after the gloom.

Yet, the light faded just as it would from the sun when it congealed into night. Kagome went from darkness to light, only to be faced by darkness once again. Her gaze looked up to see a snippet of the sky. The shine of the sun found her again. Night and Day, Darkness and Light, Shadows and Sunlight; Kagome discovered this to be an endless cycle in her life.

Her hands gripped the vines that crawled up the side of the well and began to take her ascent. The process was somewhat difficult and grueling. A misplaced foot or false step could send her spiraling down, and cause her to take this journey again. A grunt uttered from the young woman's mouth showed her protest of the very idea. With one last heft, Kagome reached the other side. She balanced herself on the lip before touching her feet to solid ground again.

Stepping away from one of the objects that plagued her being and thoughts, Kagome straightened her yellow back-pack that had weighted her down on the ascent. Kagome's head turned to study the surrounding area. A small solemn smile graced her lips.

The lone trees had regained there companions. The path-ways through them were narrow and shadowed. Deep-green touched their leaves with rich color. The wind whispered some secret message to the forest, which caused the tops of the trees to shake violently and put off the sound of the chattering leaves as they brushed against one another. Everything was as it should have stayed. Yet, nothing ever goes un-changed…

Some realization hit Kagome as she stood there. The forest around her was impeccably beautiful, but eerily silent. Besides the chattering leaves, no other sound floated on the breeze. There were no twittering birds. There were no scurrying animals. There were no sounds of life whatsoever. Something was un-rest in the forest, the notion un-nerved Kagome. A scream pierced the hush-ness of the forest.

Kagome's head snapped to the direction of the shattering scream. Her eyes widened in horror and she began to sprint towards the place of the scream. Many other cries of anguish and terror were heard as trekked closer and closer. Her legs began to burn as she weaved throughout the trees. She bit out a curse as she comprehended that her only weapon of defense lay in the village of screams.

Kagome broke through the trees to look upon in disbelief at the scene before her. Villagers running in complete fright from fires bursting about here and there. Her eyes spotted the enemy. Three-figures dressed in tenebrous black. Kagome's eyes narrowed and she broke into a sprint again. Her eyes fell to her familiar friends as she stampeded down the steps leading into the village.

Inuyasha swiped at the enemy, but couldn't match their speed. They darted around avoiding his attacks with the greatest ease. They were also far too fast for Sango to find an opening. Even worse than the demons continuous dodge of team inu-tachi's advances were their relentless attacks on villagers. This was unacceptable.

"Lady Kagome!" Miroku yelled. His lavender robes fluttered in the wind as he approached her. His eyes were deep and serious. Kagome realized that Miroku couldn't fight. There were just far too many villagers here for him to open up his wind tunnel.

"What's happening?" Kagome asked as she narrowly avoided being singed by flying debris. The flames continued to engulf the structures around them. Miroku grabbed Kagome and led her around the corner of a building.

"These three demons appeared out of nowhere hailing something about a new era, the beginning of the golden age. That is when they began to attack the village. At first they taunted us by just destroying the buildings, but then they started attacking and killing villagers," Miroku answered gravely in a low whisper.

"Why attack this village? Does Naraku have something to do with this?" Kagome asked angered. She couldn't believe what was happening. She didn't defeat her inner demons only to find herself face to face with actual ones. In the back of her mind she realized that that was a ridiculous hope, she just wanted a reprieve.

"I am not sure, but for now we must fight," Miroku said. Kagome watched as Miroku reached for something beside him. It was her bow and quiver. He turned back to face Kagome and outstretched his arm to place the bow into her hands.

Taking up her quiver of arrows, Kagome slid it onto her shoulder. She nodded towards Miroku. Being handed her weapon was a silent compliment. It was a way of him saying he believed in her ability. It was a nice feeling, but now was not the time to dwell on it.

"Let's go…" Kagome said as confidently as she could. Turning to face the shambles, her blue eyes hardened. Once again taking the time to avoid the flickering ambers she made her way into the ongoing battle. Kagome took in the current situation set out in front of her.

Kagome bounded around the last of the flaming debris as she let herself come out into the open. A cough racked her body as some of the billowing black smoke emitting from the burning houses made its way inside her lungs. Hearing the light sound, one of the three attackers caught sight of Kagome and smiled sadistically.

The demon leapt into the sky and prepared to descend upon her. Kagome tensed and readied herself. With swift motions, she loaded her bow. When the demon was just above her she released an arrow. The arrow almost missed, but managed to nick the demon's shoulder.

"You insufferable human!" the demon hissed as another one of Kagome's arrows pierced his chest. The purifying powers of the arrow began to tear away at the demon's very being as he glowed. A moment later the demon ceased to exist and all that remained were the clothes he had worn.

"That's two down," a familiar feminine voice called. Kagome turned towards Sango. The older girl smiled at Kagome, before going to assist Inuyasha in taking down the very last attacker.

This demon had been the one avoiding the team through speed. The demon didn't seem too peachy about losing his other comrades. A swing of tetsuiga missed the demon again, Inuyasha growled in frustration. Being in the middle of the village was making it difficult to fight back. Most of group couldn't do any major attacks without disturbing the already crumbling buildings or injuring more villagers.

"Where's Kaede?" asked Kagome curiously as she watched Inuyasha make another block with his sword. Sango continued to search for any opening to get to the demon, but she took the time to answer back to Kagome.

"She's doing her best to lead the villagers into safety. If we can get this last demon then everything should be fine," Sango said. Everything would be fine? That thought amused Kagome in a cynical, but she said nothing.

She knew this battle might end, and there would be a brief moment of peace. Yet, she knew not everything would ever be truly all right. Her eyes fell to Inuyasha again. She noticed that every time he blocked that the demon had to slow down. She realized that if she just waited for the demon to attack Inuyasha again then she could make an opening.

She loaded her bow in anticipation. She waited for the optimum moment to make her move. Watching a couple more attempts by the demon to attack Inuyasha, she picked up tiny characteristics of what the demon looked like before he attacked. A minute later she saw the tell-tale signs.

"Inuyasha move!" shouted Kagome as she released her arrow. The purifying arrow flew through the arrow towards its target. Inuyasha narrowly missed the soaring arrow as it finally hit its mark.

……………………………………………….

It had taken hours to move the shambles into a more orderly shape. A lot of work had to be done, but it seemed a lot more would still be left to do tomorrow. The evening was beginning to set in.

Villagers had to adjust to new problems facing them this night. Some had to bury relatives in the afternoon, some attempted to rebuild houses they had lost, and others had to quell the foreboding feeling that was overtaking their hearts.

Team inu-tachi sat around the hearth of a fire in Kaede's house. The older miko moved slowly around her home, for the excitement of the day had taken its toll on her aged body. The rest of the group remained in complete silence. The day's events had worn each of them down.

The group found they were so tired that they didn't eat their meal with as much vigor as they normally would. There were quiet slurps and occasional gulps. Kagome set half-empty bowl beside her.

She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. What did it all mean? The events of today didn't make complete sense. Demons had mostly stopped attacking the village a while back. Why attack now? Why this village? What was this so called 'golden era'? The questions continued to swim in Kagome's head.

Turning to her backpack, she dug out her object of interest. Her nimble fingers played along the smooth black fabric. A symbol embellished onto the cloth made it rougher in some areas. With the shadows dancing from the fire, it was hard to tell what the symbol was exactly.

"Kagome may I look closer at that?" Sango asked which broke Kagome out of her train of thought. Handing the material over to Sango, Kagome watched as the others craned their necks to get a closer look.

"Is that from one of the demons?" Miroku asked curiously. Kagome nodded her head. Shippo hovered over Kagome's shoulder to gaze at the tattered piece of clothing. Sango continued to trace the piece of fabric before lying down on the floor for the others to see.

"Why the heck would you keep something like that?" mumbled Inuyasha as he glanced at Kagome from the corner of his eye. His arms were crossed tightly and his hands lay hidden in his enormous sleeves. Kagome twiddled her fingers.

"The attackers bothered. Normally a demon attack wouldn't bother me too much, but these demons seemed far too organized. Normally demons don't have matching uniforms. I thought it was somewhat suspicious," Kagome said confidently. She didn't like Inuyasha questioning about what she did. She knew what she was doing.

"Kagome has a very good point and she's right. This is part of a soldier's uniform" Sango explained, "Just like humans; demons have their own organized armies. Of course there are some differences, but not many. Demon armies are usually under the control of lords like…like Lord Sesshomaru. However I've never heard of any of these armies bothering to attack human villages. They don't find as a threat in the least, so they leave us alone most of the time,"

The room grew quiet again. This new news was somewhat disturbing. Not only because there seemed to be some new foreboding threat, but everyone could now clearly see the symbol clearly as the light of the fire made it shimmer. It was a perfectly sewn crescent moon. Inuyasha's face seemed to darken even more.

Kagome bit her lip. A question teetered on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to let the question out. She needed to let the questioned. Yet, she was almost afraid that after she did that she wouldn't be pleased with the answer. Kagome was fairly certain the thought also lingered in everyone else's mind.

"Does this mean these soldiers could be Sesshomaru's? I mean the uniform has the same moon on it…" Kagome said. She couldn't help herself. Something from inside her begged to ask the dreaded question

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably. His golden eyes met Kagome's. The young miko said nothing and looked towards the fire. Sango ran her fingers along the fabric the same way Kagome had done. She seemed to be contemplating something.

"I'm not sure. Technically there are two armies that have this symbol. Yet, the story of these two armies is very old in my village. I'm not as well versed in demon politics as I should be," Sango explained. The group took in this new information.

"It would make sense that the story is old in your village, but to demons it could be recent business. Do you remember most of the story? Perhaps it could shed some light on the current situation," Miroku suggested.

"Why are we bothering to get worked up about this?" Inuyasha grumbled. His shoulders seemed to be tense. His golden eyes were narrowed slightly. Kagome shifted uncomfortably and adjusted Shippo who sat in her lap.

"But what if this does concern us? What if Naraku is behind this? We need to ask Sesshomaru…" Kagome began, but was cut off as Inuyasha slammed his fist onto the ground violently.

"No! We are not going to ask that bastard for help. We finally got rid of him a few days ago. If it wasn't for Kagome's stupid suggestion, he wouldn't have been in my hair anyway. Even if it is Naraku's doing, we can handle it ourselves! We don't need his help! Don't you dare suggest that I need his help…" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome bit her lip. The tension she had left when leaving to her own time was now seeping back into the room. Her cerulean eyes fell to the floor and she tried to breathe slowly. She willed herself not to let the tears fall as her reasoning for leaving came back to her. It was too soon for this.

It was obvious that Inuyasha figured out the real reason she had left. Or perhaps he still felt guilty for leaving her alone with his half-brother. Or it simply was his pure hatred to the other demon. It didn't matter the reason. Kagome could tell that Inuyasha wanted the topic to come to a close.

Inuyasha stood up abruptly and stormed outside of Kaede's hut. Kagome let out a shaky sigh and attempted to collect herself. She gently picked up the piece cloth from the ground. She slowly rolled up the cloth and placed it in her yellow bag.

The others remained quiet and went back to eating. Kagome didn't want the topic just to close, because Inuyasha wasn't entirely comfortable with the subject matter. This incident could be very important. It was in this moment that Kagome decided to take matters into her own hands.

………………………………………………

The glaring sun bore down on the forest below. It was near midday and the forest wild life skirted about. A lone figure made his way through the trees. His long strides were made of large deliberate steps.

His long silver hair floated in the wind and his golden eyes shifted over the forests in its entirety. Something stirred deep inside him. The wind brushed another message passed his pointed ears. He couldn't ignore it.

His face hardened and his surveying eyes became more scrutinizing. Something was on the rise. He was just not entirely sure of what it was. The feeling inside him led him here. Most of the time he would take the logical side of the situation, but his instincts pulled at him .One can only ignore their instincts for so long or else it becomes dangerous.

Most of the time Sesshomaru ignored his instincts for good reasons, He had much experience and knowledge to back up his reasoning. His father had followed his instincts and found himself dead. The great demon lord had let emotions control him and it led to his demise. This was why Sesshomaru rarely let any feeling or emotion overcome him. It only brought pain and death.

Sesshomaru had traveled fairly far southeast in his territory. He was almost out of the borders of his lands. He noticed that if he went any further, he would meet up with his half-brother again. The thought put a sour taste in his mouth. He did not dwell too long on that thought.

He prepared to head back west. The winds whispers seemed to have rung false, because nothing of importance appeared to be here. Yet as he began to turn back around swiftly, a faint noise caught his attention.

The brush beside him started to rustle, but the taiyoukai seemed to not fear what lay beyond the bush His senses told him that creature coming was mostly harmless. No, the demon lord was just curious. He recognized who was coming.

Kagome finally broke free of the bush as she came out into the open. She eyed the new howl her orange jacket had acquired and sighed. Suddenly she tensed as she realized she wasn't alone. Her eyes lifted up to meet Sesshomaru's. Noticing who it was, Kagome's shoulders relaxed. Sesshomaru frowned.

"What are you doing here miko?" Sesshomaru asked plainly. Kagome gained a frown of her own as she took note that Sesshomaru had gone back to referring to her title instead of her name. Ignoring that, she took in a deep breath and approached Sesshomaru.

"I just…I needed to see you again," Kagome said and then she grew quiet. Both froze as her words registered in their minds. The way she had said caused Sesshomaru's chest to clench, but he paid it no mind. Kagome shuffled her feet.

"Why would you want to do something such as that?" Sesshomaru asked a little softer now. Was this what the wind whispered about? Did it have something to do with her? The notion was ridiculous, but curiosity had always gotten the best of him.

"I needed to see you again to ask you some questions. I need answers," Kagome elaborated. The young woman now had the full attention of the Lord of the west. Kagome squirmed under his gaze, but did her best to stand her ground.

"I see no reason I need to answer to you. I have already mentioned things that were not meant to be spoken. Telling you anymore would be foolish of me. Farewell Miko, it would be best if you wandered back to the half-breed," Sesshomaru spoke icily.

He turned his back to the girl and prepared to leave again. He did not want to waste his time any longer. This girl had no right to bother him any longer. Whatever she had to say was most likely of trivial importance. This is what he told himself as he drifted further and further away.

Kagome was taken aback. Sesshomaru couldn't just walk away from her again. She wouldn't allow it. She had so many questions for him. She had risked her life running away in the middle of the night to get to him. Her group didn't even know she was here. She had to do something to make him to stop. One thought burned in the back of her mind and she let it out with the hope that it would get the demon lord to halt his movements.

"What about Nozomi?" Kagome yelled at Sesshomaru's retreating figure. She watched as Sesshomaru's hold body tensed. Kagome almost swallowed her tongue. In that next moment she found long sharp claws gripping her throat.

"Where did you learn of such a name?" Sesshomaru growled as his red eyes pierced into Kagome's very being. Pure terror ripped through Kagome's body. She had only seen this kind of anger pointed at Inuyasha or Naraku. Having it pointed directly at her was a terrifying experience.

"I don't know…" Kagome said hoarsely. She knew telling the demon lord that Nozomi had told her the name herself would have been idiotic. There would be no way that Sesshomaru would believe her. The grip on her throat tightened more.

"Do not mock me! Tell me who has given you this name," Sesshomaru hissed. His rage was rolling off his body in waves. Kagome could barely breathe now. With no oxygen reaching her brain, she was having trouble finding a way to get out of this situation.

"Inuyasha told me," Kagome choked out. Kagome was certain that her esophagus felt as if it would collapse at the way Sesshomaru tightened his hold. Her vision was becoming hazy and her lungs were becoming severely deflated.

"You lie! Tell me human!" Sesshomaru roared. Kagome was now teetering on the edge of consciousness. Suddenly she felt herself fall and air began to fill her lungs again. She panted on the forest floor. Her vision slowly began to clear and she looked up at Sesshomaru. He no longer had his focus on her. She was glad for that.

Sesshomaru's gaze was off into the distance. Kagome followed the path his eyes were looking. Her eyes widened marginally and she attempted to stand up. She continued to stare at the four soldiers. They wore the same uniforms as the other soldiers.

"It's them…" Kagome whispered. Sesshomaru was still enraged, but he was beginning to calm down. He had heard what Kagome had said, but continued to keep his focus on the soldiers. He noticed that the soldiers looked giddily at the human girl beside him.

"Are you going to kill the human? If not, we will gladly do it for you," One of the soldiers cackled. Kagome felt a shiver run down her spine. She did not like where this conversation was headed. Then she felt it, another powerful aura right behind her and Sesshomaru.

The demon lord must have felt it too, because his head turned behind them. Kagome was almost afraid to look behind her. This situation was becoming more and more dangerous. Daring to look back, she did.

A breath caught in her throat. Behind her was a beautiful creature, a very deadly beautiful creature. Yet, the thing that struck her was the similarities between this lovely creature and the one beside her. They were almost too alike.

Another demon looked down at her. He had long black hair tied up in a high pony-tail. His golden eyes narrowed at her and a frown marred his features. The thing that caught most of Kagome's attention, however, was the crescent moon on his forehead. It was the one thing that made these two creatures beside her so strikingly similar, except this crescent moon seemed to facing the opposite direction. The points of the moon faced to the right.

"Well hello dearest cousin, such a pleasure it is to see you. I see you have a human in your clutches. Are you also participating in this golden era? Has Naraku promised you something as well?" the black demon spoke smoothly.

Kagome's interest peaked at the mention of Naraku. It seemed to catch Sesshomaru's attention as well as he approached the other demon. Still feeling unsafe, Kagome followed closely behind. This did not go unnoticed.

"What nonsense do you speak of Kano?" Sesshomaru growled. Kagome continued to watch with interest at the two cousins. She was surprised to find out this new information. Yet, she noticed that Sesshomaru seemed on bad terms with this relative as well.

"The time of great fortune and prosperity is upon us. Naraku has promised us unlimited power in this new golden era that awaits us. He told us of the many wondrous things that will happen. The best part will be the eradication of all humans," Kano said grinning so that his fangs stuck out. Kagome's blood ran cold. This was horrible news.

"Kano you are a fool for letting Naraku manipulate you. As a leader, one should not be too quick to be misled. Any power promised to you is most likely a lie. Do not let yourself to be tricked so easily," Sesshomaru said sharply. Kano sniffed and motioned for the soldiers to come to him.

"I guess I was mistaken. You are not yet one of us. You will learn to appreciate our future lord in time I suppose. My soldiers and I will be leaving now. After we kill the human of course, one less human to deal with," Kano retorted just as sharply as his cousin.

Kagome tensed and felt the urge to run surge down her legs. Suddenly all that faced her was white. Sesshomaru now stood in front of her with sword drawn. She was taken by surprise.

"You will not harm this human for your ridiculous reasons," Sesshomaru snapped as his stood tall. Kano looked disgusted as he stepped back. Kagome realized that Kano was a strong demon, but still not strong enough to defeat Sesshomaru.

"I see that you are still swayed by old habits Sesshomaru. You disappoint me. From hanyous' to humans'? Like father, like son I suppose," Kano quipped. Sesshomaru's eyes gleamed a deadly shade of red again, but he did not make a move to attack the other demon.

Kano took the hint and began to walk away. His eyes shot back to pierce Kagome, who almost trembled under his gaze. She was fairly certain this would not be the last time she would meet this particular demon. The soldiers began to follow and soon the group disappeared into the forest.

Kagome's heart almost jumped into her throat as Sesshomaru turned his gaze to her. She could tell that the demon lord's blood boiled under the cool exterior. She kept quiet and said nothing. She did not want to anger him anymore.

"Leave now, wench. I do not want you in my sights. Go back to my brother at once," Sesshomaru said stiffly. He re-sheathed his sword. Kagome did not move. She was unsure of what to do. She couldn't go wander the forest alone again, especially after finding out the danger that now lurked in it. The night was drawing closer.

"I can not…" Kagome said honestly. Sesshomaru erupted with another growl. She could tell his resolve was crumbling. She felt her chest tighten. Sesshomaru remained silent for a long time. She noticed his one hand was clenched so tightly that blood was dripping from it.

"Why can you not leave?" he asked menacingly. Kagome worked on building up her confidence again. Her independence was slipping over the day. She couldn't let things scare her. She would never amount to anything, if she continued to let herself be fearful.

"I left my group without telling them. They have no idea where I am. Going out into the forest alone now would be suicide. Also, I still have certain questions that need to answered," Kagome said as calmly as she could. Sesshomaru became quiet again. He knew what had to be done, so he let his answer out reluctantly.

"Fine. As of tonight, you are in my care,"

……………………………………..

_**Eh, I'm not sure if I liked how this chapter turned out. I might change it later. Sadly, there wasn't exactly fluff in this chapter and I apologize. Also, there was a large gap of time in-between parts when I wrote this, which caused it to change styles in places. The ending seems rushed, and I think it's because I desperately wanted to get this chapter out finally. I'm sorry there is so much talking in this chapter, but it had to be done. I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway and please review. This chapter is dedicated to Michelle (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!).**_


	11. Kiss of Truth

"Men achieve a certain greatness unawares, when working to another aim

"_Men achieve a certain greatness unawares, when working to another aim." – Ralph Waldo Emerson_

"_Picture, now, the midnight sky with gems of twinkling light_

_Imagine Heaven's gaze on ocean waves, dazzling sunlight burning bright_

_Though these things inspire dreams, they can not compare_

_To the simple spark within you now; the simple spark of your soul's flare," – Bob_

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There was no need for the shade from the trees, because darkness had set in. Yet, the towering forest continued to loom over the landscape and shadow it from the moon. The eerie shadows danced along the ground and created gloomy puppets with what little light there was. Some creatures used the dark abyss of night for their advantage.

Creatures of prey stay hidden in the trees. They remain still and silent. They wait with baited breaths. They wait for a sound. They wait for a movement. They wait for a sign. Once it finds them, they strike. They strike in an instant. They strike without warning. They tear down their prey with no remorse, for the will to survive shall always surpass compassion.

The screams of their prey can be heard in the night. Whether it is an owl snapping up a mouse in its claws or a demon coming down on an unsuspecting traveler, the screams sound all the same. It begins with surprise and ends in unyielding terror. For those close enough to hear it, it brings a chill down their spine.

Perhaps the only thing more chilling than the screams is the cool of night. Warmth is a necessity hard to come by in the forest. The dirt is always soft, but moist. The only dry things in the forest being the trees, but they are always rough and teeming with bugs that enjoy the dry places as well. It always got even cooler when a night breeze would blow.

Kagome shivered as she embraced herself. Even with a fire in front of her, the forest was still far too cold. The fire provided some light, but only enough so that she could see snippets of the shadowy figure in front of her. Other than the fire she had nothing to keep her warm.

"I do not pity you…" spoke a cool voice, "It was your own doing that led to your current discomfort,"

Kagome said nothing for a moment. She tried staring harder through the flames to see Sesshomaru. Kagome studied him more closely now, and held herself more tightly. She bit her lip. An urge to say something biting back to him swelled up inside of her until she released her thoughts.

"Of course you wouldn't pity a girl like me. You never pity anyone. You're cold and heartless. I finally realized nothings changed and you're still the same person I met the first time," Kagome retorted sharply. The comment seemed sudden. It had sprouted out of nowhere and left Sesshomaru intrigued. This didn't seem to be correlated with the girl's current physical state, but a mixture of her thoughts thrown out in an opening of speech.

"Why be bitter towards me now? What is different now little miko?" Sesshomaru snapped back in a deadly tone. He was already in a bitter mood. If anything else was to happen it was sure to set him off.

"You killed her! You killed her!" Kagome cried as she stood up from her sitting position. She waved her arms hysterically and seemed to dance around the fire wildly. She desperately held back tears. She lowered closed fists to her sides and looked at Sesshomaru pointedly.

"I have killed many in my lifetime. What one person makes a difference? Who are you blathering about?" growled Sesshomaru so loudly that it resonated in his chest. He was holding down boiling rage. This girl was far too emotional for him, and there was something about her that grabbed at him.

"You killed Nozomi…" Kagome gasped before her body found itself crushed to the ground. Small rocks and twigs dug into her back, while looming red eyes stared down at her. Gleaming white fangs were illuminated in the fire light. Kagome had always imagined her death would be shrouded in darkness. The pierce of sharp claws digging into her shoulders brought Kagome back.

"I still am unaware of where you received this information, but I assure you I did not kill her. She took her own life. It was not my fault," Sesshomaru seemed to hiss as he continued to hover over Kagome in a threatening hunch.

"You're wrong. It is your fault. You killed her the moment you gave your love to another. You're just like Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered sadly. Tears pricked at her eyes till they finally started sliding down her cheeks. The roughness of how Sesshomaru was holding did not change for the better, and only seemed to intensify.

"How dare such a thing come from your mouth," Sesshomaru said furiously. Kagome winced as Sesshomaru slid his hand down her shoulders and grasped her wrist tightly. It felt like it was almost to its breaking point. The pressure on the delicate bone was intense.

"But it's true—" Kagome said as she closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. When she opened them again the fire seemed to catch her eyes and cast sheen on them. It made them look almost akin to the falling rain. Another tear swept down her cheek as her blue eyes glistened.

Sesshomaru's claws continued to dig deeper and deeper into Kagome's wrist. A guttural growl pierced her ear as bared fangs hovered dangerously close to her ear. A hot breath caressed the protruding cartilage and it caused Kagome to shudder.

Sesshomaru pulled his head back to face her again. Suddenly a strange thing occurred. The blood red orbs began to soften. Kagome was taken aback as the bestial figure above her seemed to lean in even closer. His golden eyes bore into her own cerulean eyes. Kagome was confused.

"In just that moment, your eyes looked like hers," he said softly. Then it clicked inside her mind. The puzzle pieces fell into place. She had seen this same look before in Inuyasha's eyes when he looked past her to see Kikyo. It all made sense now. A feeling of guilt welled up inside Kagome.

"You loved her. You loved Nozomi. She was the one…" Kagome said as she felt the grip on her wrist loosen. A second later the rest of the weight leaned off of her. She looked up to find him standing tall beside her. His back was turned slightly away from Kagome and his chin was tilted to the sky.

"I loved her more than the world could ever truly know," Sesshomaru said solemnly. Kagome lowered her head and wiped away at the last of the tears off her face. She felt around for a moment before brushing her hand against the rough bark of the tree. She used the tree to pull herself up to stand. It was still a tad to dark for her to see everything around her.

"Why did you never tell her that you loved her?" Kagome questioned as she stared off into the dark of the forest. She could hear the shifting of fabric and out of the corner of her eye she could see the silhouette of Sesshomaru that the fire light created.

"I let society dictate my actions and thoughts," Sesshomaru answered simply.

"Why?"

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The conversation had continued onward until dawn. The topics had flowed and changed like the tides. It had started out tense and uncomfortable, but slowly faded into a more tolerable atmosphere. It was the most Sesshomaru had talked with a single person in a long time.

"Tell me more of the soldiers we met earlier. You seemed to know their leader. I figure I should learn as much about them as I can. They spoke about this golden era and then of Naraku. It made me fairly uneasy," Kagome said as she poked the remnants of the fire with a fallen tree branch.

"The leader is the Lord of the East. He is a kin of mine. Although he has done well in the past, his more recent choices appear foolish. I am not entirely sure of this golden era however," Sesshomaru answered as he leaned more into the tree decided to prop himself on.

"I had noticed he had the same moon marking as you, except facing the opposite way. I wasn't aware that dog demons ruled both the east and the west. That's a fairly interesting fact. I had been extremely curious about that," Kagome said as she dropped the branch she was holding.

"You are only partially correct. It is not dog demons that happen to rule over the east and the west, but more specifically it is the house of the moon that rules over those lands. It was an attempt to bring about equality in the kingdoms," Sesshomaru specified as he shuffled his feet in front of him.

"What exactly do you mean?" Kagome asked curiously as she stood up to walk over to Sesshomaru. She took a minute to settle herself beside him. She had enjoyed the talk she had been having with him. It had relieved her somehow, just to talk to someone.

"It was hundreds of years ago. My grandfather and his brother were in line to rule the lands of both the east and the west, at the time it was one land. Their father was dying and he feared that a war would break out between the brothers over who would become Lord. A decision was made to split the land evenly between each of the two brothers as best as it could be done," Sesshomaru explained.

"But what about the crescent moons? Why are they different? Plus even if there is similarities between you and your kin there is still a lot of differences that I can see," Kagome said as she shifted her weight from one knee to another. Sesshomaru paused for a moment before speaking again.

"Like the land, the symbol or crest of the family was whole as well. A full moon marked the House of the moon. However, to show separation of the two kingdoms an ancient ritual was performed. It caused the two brothers to become exact opposites of the other. One with the traditional white hair to represent the light of the moon, one with contrasting dark black hair to represent the shadow of the moon. The symbol itself became two different identities," Sesshomaru said as he glanced over at the girl beside him.

"That almost seems like ying-and-yang. I'm supposing the idea worked since as of right now the east and west are separate territories," Kagome said as she returned Sesshomaru's gaze. He turned his head away from her to look at the sky. The sun was beginning to come up.

"It resolved most of the problem, but not all of it. Is there anything more you would like to ask?" Sesshomaru said as he leaned his head back onto the tree again. Kagome thought long about it. Something had been plaguing her mind for a long time. It had muddled in the back of her mind the whole time she was at home.

She dug her fingers into the dirt and played around with it. She let it slide in and around her fingers. The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't possibly ask it now. Not after all that had happened. Could she?

She continued to play with the dirt as a child would. Sesshomaru watched as the girl dirtied her hands. He could feel her anxiousness. Kagome stopped playing with the dirt and started to tap her fingers along the ground instead. She sighed.

"I…Why did you kiss me?" Kagome asked finally. After the question a long silence followed. Kagome paused her tapping. She slowly lifted her head to find that Sesshomaru was staring right at her. A breath caught in Kagome's throat.

"As I said before, I do not know…" Sesshomaru answered truthfully. He continued to look at Kagome as if she held the answer. The just gazed at each other in wonderment about the question. Kagome bit her lip and slowly opened her mouth to speak.

"I have a theory. I think it was just because we're so desperate for affection. I knew I was. We can never have the ones we truly love, so we seek it from anywhere else we can find it," Kagome said sadly. The words brought a harsh reality, but it seemed entirely accurate.

"I suppose that is true," Sesshomaru said. They broke eye contact. It grew quiet again. Kagome thought deeply about something before slowly crawling on her hands and knees towards Sesshomaru. Her movements caught his attention once again. His eyes followed her until she sat right in front of him.

She began to lean in her head. Black hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves as she did this. She stopped up to the point where their noses touched and her breath tickled at his lips. Her deep blue eyes captured his until she shut them. She closed the remaining gap as their lips touched.

It was much sweeter than the last time they had kissed. There was innocence to it. A softer tone spoke through it. Kagome cautiously reached a hand into Sesshomaru's hair as she attempted to bring him closer. He seemed to allow it as he joined into the kiss as he tangled his own hand into her hair.

The kiss was light and only seemed to brush their lips together. Kagome daintily slid the tip of her tongue on the bottom of his lip. Sesshomaru nipped at hers. A tiny sad smile came to Kagome's face and he felt it as they broke apart. They just stared at the other for a while. Each still had a hand tangled in the others hair.

"I still love him," Kagome said softly.

"And I her," Sesshomaru said in the same soft tone.

They stayed in that position a few minutes before finally fully detaching from one another. They did not speak of the kiss. They did not discuss it. They merely let it be. They let it hang in the air. They were both entirely aware it had happened. They did not deny it. They just kept quiet. It was like an ethereal thing in which they just let it be, acknowledged but not touched upon.

"I imagine I should be heading back now. They're most likely wondering where I ran off to," Kagome said. She was comfortably watching the breathtaking sunrise from under the shade of a fairly large tree. Sesshomaru stood off to the side and occasionally turned his gaze her way.

"We will be going to my castle. The journey back to where you belong shall commence on another day," Sesshomaru said. Kagome turned back to look at him. Her eyes studied him closely. She lowered her head and breathed in deeply.

"I trust your judgment. However, exactly why are we doing this?" Kagome questioned. Sesshomaru walked over to Kagome. She lifted her head and gave him her full attention. He seemed to confirm something and merely nodded his head.

"As a human you should obviously know of the exhaustion from not sleeping, I truthfully do not wish to begin the journey back only to stop halfway for you to rest. My home is much closer to where we are and you shall be able to rest there. I will take you tomorrow back to where you need to be," Sesshomaru answered.

It was only when Sesshomaru spoke of her not sleeping that Kagome realized how tired she was. She supposed she had been running on adrenaline. She had woken up extremely early the other morning to run all the way here. Then she had stayed up the whole night talking to Sesshomaru. A rest seemed like a good idea.

"That idea seems fine with me," Kagome said picking herself up from the ground. She balanced herself on the tree and waited for Sesshomaru's command. He nodded his head and they slowly started making their way through the forest.

Kagome continued to follow Sesshomaru through the various trees of the forest in silence. It was a comfortable silence in the least. Kagome mainly focused on not collapsing due to not sleeping in so long. Her eyes found a single point on Sesshomaru's back that she used to center herself on.

They made it to a dirt road about an hour later. Roads always led to civilization of some sort. Kagome hoped this meant it wouldn't be much longer now. They hadn't spoken to each other once during the journey so far. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but Kagome wasn't used to the quietness when traveling. Her group always proved to be rather loud when on their way. Kagome let a smile grace her lips.

The silence was breached however when the commotion ahead could be heard. Workers moved from left to right in abundance. The castle was in distance atop a large hill. The workers worked diligently as they hefted around large grey and red stones. They were building a pathway.

A strange feeling crept over Kagome as they continued to walk towards the castle. This all seemed far too familiar for some reason. She tried to shake off the feeling as best as she could. As the two walked through the workers they would stop to bow at Sesshomaru. Then their eyes would fall to Kagome and they would continue to watch her as she followed Sesshomaru. It was an unnerving feeling.

Their shoes clacked on the pathway the workers had managed to build so far. Up ahead something caught Kagome's eye. She gasped and ran past Sesshomaru. Her feet took her closer and closer to the red blotch in the distance. She stopped. Her breathing was rugged and hard as she outstretched a hand to stroke the immense red dog statue.

"Déjà vu…" Kagome whispered as she continued to rub her hand against the figure. A second later she felt someone hovering behind her. She turned her head to meet Sesshomaru's gaze. He was looking at her curiously.

"What is wrong?" Sesshomaru questioned. He had watched as the girl started sprinting away from him. He was caught off guard when she did this. He wondered if she was trying to escape him. It would have been a foolish attempt on her part, but then he saw her stop at the statues. What could have intrigued her so much about them?

"It's nothing. I can't explain it…" Kagome said as she removed her hand from the statue. She bit her lip as thoughts began to swirl in her head. This explained a few things, but only seemed to raise more questions.

"You may find a place to rest once we are inside," Sesshomaru said simply breaking Kagome out of her thoughts. He watched as she turned her gaze slowly from the statue back to him. She seemed almost dazed as she nodded her head towards him. The workers continued to stare at them from afar.

Sesshomaru took a few steps forward and Kagome began to follow him as he went onward. Kagome decided she would have to try her best to keep her thoughts to herself. Inuyama-Jo was Sesshomaru's castle. Another thought came to Kagome as she thought about this. It filled her both with excitement and with a bit of anxiety.

They finally arrived in the grand entryway of the castle. Servants ran back and forth putting last minute touches on the interiors of the building. Currently the inside was very plain. It was even plainer than when Kagome had seen this same castle as a museum.

Kagome's gaze went to where the portrait of Nozomi was meant to hang. All that faced Kagome was a cool blank stone wall. It was completely bare. Where was the beautiful painting? Kagome was aware she couldn't just ask where it had gone. It would make her seem suspicious if she asked about a picture she supposedly hadn't seen before.

"What is wrong? You seem bothered about something," Sesshomaru commented after he had continued to see the same dazed look in Kagome's eyes as they walked. Kagome seemed surprised by Sesshomaru's sudden acknowledgement. It took her a moment to answer him back. She quickly thought of something to reply.

"May I go to the garden?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru was puzzled by Kagome's question. When she asked about the garden it reminded him about the conversation he had had with Rin a while back, before the unpleasantness happened.

"I do not have a garden. I never believed a garden necessary for my stronghold. I see no purpose for one," Sesshomaru said simply. He watched as Kagome's contorted into one of confusion. She was bewildered.

"But I was certain…" Kagome began before correcting herself, "I was certain a castle of this stature would have a grand garden of some sort,"

Sesshomaru said nothing in return to Kagome's statement. The front entryway grew quiet again. A silence returned between them as they got lost in their own thoughts. The servants had stopped bustling around now. They had seemed to disappear. A chorus of footsteps broke through their barrier of soundlessness.

"Kagome!" said a happy voice as it bounded off of the stone walls. A few squawks were heard after the other voice. Rin and Jaken came into view from around the corner. It would be explained later that the two had learned of Kagome's arrival through the fast spreading gossip of Inuyama-Jo.

"Rin, take Kagome to your quarters. She requires rest," Sesshomaru as he gestured slightly down the hallway the little girl had emerged from. Rin nodded happily as she rushed over and took the older girls hand in her own. The pair walked off. Right before they were finally out of sight, Kagome looked back at Sesshomaru one last time. Then they were gone.

"Not that I don't believe in your judgment Lord Sesshomaru, but are you not afraid to open old wounds? Another human in your companionship? I have no doubt in you, but I fear what happened before will happen again," Jaken said once the others had left. He winced in anticipation of being punished for his words. However, the assault never came.

Jaken looked up to find a blank face. As usual, no emotion showed on Sesshomaru's face. This time however, Jaken could actually feel the hint of utter rage behind that face. In an attempt to avoid opening old wounds, Jaken had merely resurfaced old memories that had long been buried.

Sesshomaru turned away from Jaken to face the large expanse of blank wall that stood in front of him. His fists were clenched at his sides. With the most control he had ever needed, Sesshomaru spoke sharply.

"They have taken away one castle in the belief that I was weak. I assure you that shall not happen again,"

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I apologize profusely for the delay. I have been schooling in Germany for the past few weeks. Although I did have access to a computer, I was unable to use it for fan fiction purposes. I also did not have the first half of the story on my computer there. I had forgotten to bring it with me. I did continue to write the story in my travel journal however. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again I apologize for the delay.


	12. Clues

"_**As many arrows, loosed several ways, come to one mark ... so may a thousand actions, once afoot, end in one purpose." – William Shakespeare, **__**Henry V**_

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_A single belief led them there. The full moon illuminated the night sky as a secret army hid in the shadows, a silent threat using the darkness as a black sheet to cover their destructive intentions. A band of powerful thieves brought together by greed and hatred. This night would test them all._

_Unaware of the foreboding attack, a lone figure stood in a room that now belonged to him. In fact, now every room in this fortress was his. Rooms filled with rich tapestries, priceless gems, gold, and a library lined with books of endless history. Yet to him it felt so empty._

_He valued nothing here. All these walls held for him were memories, Memories that haunted him from time to time. His fingers fluttered over an old box that sat on a small table in the room. It had been left untouched for many years and dust floated in the air as he passed his hand over it. Dare he touch something that could possibly release all the emotions he was so desperately trying to hide?_

_The sound of shattering glass disrupted his thoughts. His senses kicked in and he finally came to the realization of his imminent danger. As a last minute decision he gently picked up the box and placed it carefully within his clothing. With swift steps he began to leave the room. His frantic retainer stood outside waiting for him._

_"Lord Sesshomaru! Rogues have taken your father's castle by storm! They're trying to gain control. We must leave at once!" Jaken sputtered. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously as he walked past Jaken and down the hall._

_"I do not run from any fight. What fools they must be for thinking they could take what now belongs to me. Call upon the soldiers and prepare for battle. We must protect the castle at all costs," Sesshomaru said as he continued onward to where the sounds of crunching glass were coming from. Jaken ran towards Sesshomaru quickly and grabbed onto his robes. Sesshomaru stopped and glared back at this hindrance._

_"Sir, most of the soldiers is part of the rogue army. Once word spread that your father died protecting a human he had bedded they denounced their loyalty to the house of the moon. That is why we must leave my Lord. I fear you cannot take them all your own," Jaken said softly. Sesshomaru growled deeply. His pride refused to let him retreat, but he knew he would most likely die if he stayed. He was not yet strong enough._

_Sesshomaru gripped onto Jaken's shoulder and the smaller demon winced at the contact. Sesshomaru conjured up his cloud beneath his feet. Red eyes glowed brightly as the taiyoukai broke through the wall of his own stronghold. The two journeyed a ways from the castle before stopping. Sesshomaru released Jaken from his hold and the smaller demon tumbled to the ground._

_"Leave me…now!" Sesshomaru roared as he caught site of the castle off in the distance. Jaken scurried off not wanting to face the wrath of his lord. Sesshomaru was furious at what faced him. The castle was now being engulfed in fire. He could only watch in boiling rage as all he had left was being destroyed._

_Hordes of demons pushed against the walls of the castle and watched with delight as stone and rubble crashed to the ground. Elegant pane glassed windows were sent crashing to the ground as beautifully sparkling shrapnel, The shimmering of the broken glass magnified by the fire licking against the building turning the white stone black._

_All he could do for now was watch. Sesshomaru could only watch as rebels tore down his memories. That was not what angered him, however. He had been forced to run away. He felt like a coward. That was why his past was currently being taken apart stone by stone. All because he could do nothing, but watch._

_"I will never allow this to happen again…"_

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Kagome blinked her eyes open. The bed she laid on creaked as she shifted her legs off to the side. Her bleary blue orbs took in her surroundings. The thin blanket covering her slid off her shoulders. Everything seemed so dark…

Kagome could feel that a long span of time had passed. A tiny slip of light peeked from a crack in the door. Kagome carefully got up from the cot she had been sleeping in. Slowly, Kagome inched towards the door. She stretched her arms out in front of her, so as not to run into anything.

Her fingers pressed against the wood of the door. Nails dug into the grain as she pushed the door open. What stood before was a long dark hallway. Lit torches hung on the stone walls and casted an eerie shadow in every direction. Kagome walked out of the doorway and headed a random direction down the hall. It was spooky wandering such a dim place when no-one was around.

"I wonder where everyone is…" Kagome said softly to herself as she continued to wander. These halls were a maze to the young woman without the help of Rin to guide her. Kagome passed by countless empty doorways. It was a new castle, but Kagome swore under her breath that ghosts must haunt these vacant places.

A glow illuminated from somewhere down the hall. Perhaps it was one of the spirits that appeared to haunt this place? Kagome crept forward. As she got closer to the glow, she realized it was coming from one of the open rooms. How curious…

Kagome picked up her step. Her shoes clacked against the ground disturbing the silence. The occupant must have been aware of her approach for when she entered the room, she watched as Sesshomaru threw a tarp over something. Kagome slowed her feet and came to a halt. She eyed the area around her. It was surprising, odd, and very beautiful. The room was filled with pictures. Hundreds upon hundreds of pictures varying in size and subject littered the floor.

Kagome approached a painting of a tiny blue bird. She picked it up gently and brushed her hand over the canvas. The rough texture of the painting tickled at her fingers. Kagome moved her eyes from the painting to look at Sesshomaru. The western lord studied the young woman's reaction to the room.

"Where did you get all of these?" Kagome questioned lowering the painting in her hands to stare around the room once more. Sesshomaru walked towards Kagome and gently pulled the painting out of her grasp. Kagome watched as Sesshomaru eyed the painting before setting it aside.

"Long ago I would take time to paint things at my leisure. However, I have been unable to partake in such things since…" Sesshomaru let his explanation remain unfinished as he shifted his head to look at where his other arm was meant to be. Kagome's face fell.

"I'm…so sorry" Kagome said in a somber tone.

"It is of no consequence" Sesshomaru replied back.

"You must really enjoy nature to paint so many wonderful pictures of it…" Kagome commented lightly in an attempt to change the subject. Pretty blue orbs touching the paintings in the room with their gaze.

"I was inspired by someone a long time ago. The enjoyment of it came easily whenever I thought of her. To be captured completely by such simple things…" Sesshomaru said, his eyes shifting to the tarp.

Kagome grew more curious as to what lay under the tarp. Yet, something inside told her she already knew the answer. The dark-haired teen approached the tarp slowly. Sesshomaru appeared to not be bothered by Kagome's approach. The young miko brushed her hands on the edges of the cloth.

It was definitely a painting by the shape, a fairly large painting. Kagome bunched the cloth in her hands. She tugged it up and off as hard as she could. The tarp went flying until settling in a clump on the floor. Kagome held back a gasp.

The picture of Nozomi was even more tragically beautiful now. The painting had yet to be marred by time or be tainted by the other face. Kagome reached her hand forward, and placed it on the space that would hold the other woman. Where was she? When was she going to become part of this masterpiece? And most importantly, who was she?

"She's enchanting," Kagome commented softly as her hand fell to her side. Sesshomaru remained silent for a while. He looked longingly at the picture, his eyes not wavering from it until he turned to Kagome.

"That she is…" Sesshomaru said softly. He gingerly picked up the fallen tarp and carefully replaced it over the picture. It was as if he couldn't stand to look at it for too long. The thought saddened Kagome to an extent. The room grew quiet again.

A puzzle was forming inside Kagome's head. She was slowly putting pieces together of everything that had happened. She knew now that Inuyama castle belonged to the Western lord. She was now aware that the second woman in the picture had yet to be added. There was no garden in this time, but it was going to be. What did it all mean?

Kagome needed to know more information. There was a chance that the future for the present here could be revealed. Inuyama castle was still privately owned in her time. Perhaps she could gather more about the history of the castle from the owner. Maybe, he might tell her the story of how they beat Naraku. Maybe, the owner could tell any legends about this so called "golden age" that was coming. Maybe she could ask the owner about…_him._

Kagome's eyes wandered over to Sesshomaru once more. There was no change in his position since the silence had started. Kagome pulled her eyes away from the demon to the door out of the room. Since this was the one lit room in the castle, the door appeared a black void into nothingness. It was decided in that moment, Kagome would go back to get her answers.

"We must leave tonight," Kagome said confidently. Her words seemed to break Sesshomaru out of whatever thoughts he was having. Golden eyes turned on her with curiosity. He moved closer to her.

"Why must we leave tonight?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I need to get back somewhere and it must be soon," Kagome replied seriously.

"What is so urgent?" Sesshomaru inquired. Kagome straightened her back and looked the Western Lord right in the eyes. Blue clashed with gold in a beautiful mesh of color. Kagome breathed in and out.

"I've had time to think; time to go over things and analyze them. I need to go home. We're going to bypass your brother and my group. Take me to Kaede's village. I can reach home from there. Please…" Kagome put on a determined face.

"If that is what you wish. The night is dangerous for any traveler. We will have to fly," Sesshomaru said as he started to head for the door. Kagome blinked and turned her head to eye the demon lord.

"Fly?"

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Wind rushed past her ears furiously, scattering her hair in various directions. Her eyes were shut tight. Fingers clenched as they dug into the fabric of Sesshomaru's kimono. Feet dangled under her body. There was nothing holding her to this spot except her own death grip and the Western Lord's one arm firmly around wrapped her.

"We are almost at our destination," Sesshomaru said, his words rumbling down his chest as Kagome felt the vibrations of his voice. Kagome chanced a look at her surroundings. What faced her took her breath away. It was dazzling…

They were high above the forest in clear view of the full moon hiding a bit behind drifting clouds, the sweep Sesshomaru's cloud curving as they floated across the night sky effortlessly. Kagome could see the stars. She could see all the stars. They were diamonds twinkling in the sky.

The two landed on the outskirts of Kaede's village. Kagome's feet hit the ground gently. She balanced herself before removing her hands from Sesshomaru's person. The demon lord removed his arm. The two parted a bit from each other.

Kagome could make out Sesshomaru's silhouette in the darkness, the color of his hair illuminating him a bit more in the moonlight. Kagome was aware that he could probably see her perfectly. She wasn't sure if that was fair, although it didn't particularly matter at the moment. Kagome bowed her head.

"Thank-you…for everything," Kagome said. She waited a bit before lifting her head back up. It was almost eerie. The moon had hit Sesshomaru's eyes causing a golden shimmer. It was like he was a common beast in the night. It was interesting to think of him in such a way. He was a beast in a sense, wasn't he?

Sesshomaru never replied to Kagome's thanks. He simply turned from the girl and disappeared in the night. There were no parting words, no reply to the thanks, or any other warnings of dangers. He was simply gone. Perhaps he had been waiting to rid of her presence all along…

Regardless of his reason, Kagome had places to be. The dark-haired teen gauged her surroundings and pinpointed where she believed the well to be. She reached it within minutes. Her hands gripped the edge and glanced down.

"_Hello darkness my old friend…_" with these last words Kagome plunged into the well. When she landed in her time, it was even more dark than before. There was no moon to shine for her. Kagome groped around in the dark until her hands found the ladder. She pulled herself up to the lip of the well.

Kagome crept over the side. She outstretched her arms and then tried to find the door. Kagome once again found herself under the light of the moon. It was fading now though. The dawn was beginning to break. Kagome made her way to the house.

The door was locked when she finally got there. Kagome sighed and tried to the window. It slipped open and she made her way in. Kagome shuffled in the dark and flipped on a light switch. The bulb in the kitchen flickered on.

Kagome checked the oven clock. It was 6:30 in the morning. She had plenty of time to get ready. Kagome scurried to the hall and then walked quietly up the stairs. She changed into some more comfortable clothes and grabbed some pocket money from her purse. She also grabbed a tiny note-pad to take down information just in case. She was ready.

Kagome made her way out her front door and down the street. She would head first to the bus stop, then to the subway station, and lastly end up at Inuyama castle. The trip took over two hours in total. Kagome tiredly dragged herself up the stone steps to the castle. When she reached the top, she saw a figure shuffling around in the information booth. Kagome came up to the counter and cleared her throat loudly, the person inside still distracted by what they were previously occupied with.

"I'm sorry. We don't give any tours on Sundays. You'll have to leave…" the voice from within was obviously male, but not the other young man from before. Kagome grumbled. She was not going this far for nothing.

"If there aren't tours on Sundays then why are you here?" Kagome shot back irritated. An angry grunt was heard from inside. The information booth window opened with a crack and forest green eyes stared back at her. Shaggy brownish-orange hair tussled as the teen male opened his mouth to most likely snap back at Kagome. The mouth fell shut, and the boy seemed to freeze. Kagome was put off by the odd reaction.

The young man turned away from Kagome and looked to be searching for something again. Kagome still felt strange about his response to seeing her. She didn't think she'd ever met this young man before. He was handsome in his own way, seemingly a bit younger than her. The sound of jingling keys reached her ears.

"If you must know the burglar alarm went off. We think it might have just been the cleaning crew, but I was told to check it out," the young man said in a low voice. Kagome sighed and tapped her foot. This wasn't going to do. She needed information.

"All I want to do is talk to the owner," Kagome said desperately.

"Mr. Taisho doesn't usually like to talk to anyone unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm sorry but I can't help you" the young replied. The teen opened the side door to the booth and stepped out, shutting the door behind him. Kagome almost growled in frustration.

"This is absolutely necessary!" Kagome cried.

"I'm sorry Kagome, but the answer is no!" the young man shouted. There was a pause. Kagome's eyes widened. It was impossible. The sandy-orange haired man paled realizing his mistake instantly. Kagome approached him.

"How do you know my name?" Kagome asked. Her interest was on its ultimate peak. The young man seemed to squirm as he tried to think of an answer. He knew he would get in so much trouble if the truth was found out.

"Uh…Lucky guess? Gotta go!" with that the young man zoomed off. Kagome could only stare at his retreating form. She wasn't entirely sure what just happened. All she knew is that she was not any closer to new information. Or was she?

Kagome turned her attention to the information booth. She walked to the entrance and twisted the door knob. It opened up with ease. In his rush, the curious young man had forgotten to lock it. Kagome ventured inside and began to snoop about. It was an information booth, wasn't it? And she needed information…

Kagome shuffled around till she found something that looked like it had potential. It was a list of contact numbers. Kagome eyed the list till she found what she was looking for. There were two names under Taisho. That young man was a bit of help, he had given her a name to look for.

All the cards had only the first initial and then the last name. The first card she had simply said S. Taisho. The other had A. Taisho on it. The address on one card looked like an apartment number, while the other appeared to be a house. Kagome thought her best bet was to try the house first. It would be more likely that the owner would live in a house rather than an apartment, plus the house was considerably closer. If all else failed, she'd head to the apartment.

Kagome jotted down the info on the contact cards and then placed them back in their spot. With that finished, Kagome was off again. She was unsure of what pushed her today, but she believed it as a strive to end Naraku's reign. Any information could prove to be vital.

The trip to the house took half an hour by bus. Kagome had grown nervous in her travels. Her confidence had dwindled a bit the more she thought her plan through. She wasn't aware if this Taisho person was nice. Would he be angry that she bothered him on a Sunday? Was this the right choice?

Kagome breathed deeply as she approached the front door of the house. What if this guy was a crazy old man like her grandfather? All the possibilities kept swirling in her head. She really hoped this A. Taisho was helpful. She didn't want her efforts to be in vain.

An old-fashioned knocker was attached the door. Kagome lifted the ring and timidly knocked on the door. Seconds ticked by like hours as Kagome stood waiting at the door. She removed her hand from the knocker and rested them at her sides. Kagome bit her lip as she heard the door click open. What came into Kagome's vision almost caused her to faint. She was completely caught off guard.

"Ka…Kagome?"

"Ai?"

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_**YAY! I finished! This is a relatively short chapter and I apologize. I've wanted to get this chapter out for a while, but I've been so busy. I'm heading for college! Woo! So it was quite a lot to work with. I had to finish high school. Then there's all this insane packing to do. *swirly eyes* Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Tell me what you think in a review. I love you guys! =D**_


	13. Time

"The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream." – William Shakespeare

"The reality of yesterday becomes fable…and one forgets it," – Paul Gauguin

…………………

Kagome was at a loss of words. The man before her was unmistakable; He had the same black spiky hair, the same stunning honey-brown eyes, and the same silky voice he had used when he had first greeted her. Yet all in all, the pieces didn't seem to fit into place.

"I must be mistaken…" Kagome said unsurely. This couldn't be right. It didn't make sense. The boy from the ticket booth owning the castle, he didn't even look old enough to have the money to do such a thing. Although he was married…

"Mistaken about what?" Ai asked looking at Kagome as if she were the bloody ghost of Christmas past. The look of shock on Ai's face was close to matching Kagome's, but she had no idea what reasoning he had to be surprised. Well, there was a random girl he met the other day at his house. That might be it.

"Do you own Inuyama-Jo?" Kagome said, answering Ai with another question. The young man shifted in the door frame. He had schooled his facial features to appear more relaxed. Ai blinked as he eyed Kagome.

"Um, Yes…" Ai replied. Kagome nodded. She was seemingly satisfied with that answer, sort of. At this point and time, she wasn't entirely sure what to do now. She had had a plan. It looked so easy before it was taken into action. Now Kagome stood awkwardly in an attractive young man's doorway…

"May I ask a few questions?" Kagome asked meekly. Ai paused for a moment before nodding his head. He moved out of the way to allow Kagome entrance into his home. Kagome stood still for a bit, just taking time to glance inside.

The sunlight from outside simply darkened anything close to the entrance. Nothing could be seen from where Kagome stood. Her nervousness had grown tenfold in a matter of seconds. Ai wondering why it was taking so long peeked out from behind the doorframe.

"Are you coming in?" he inquired.

"Yes!" Kagome squeaked as she scampered past Ai. The handsome young man seemed amused by Kagome's actions. Ai's amusement by her only caused a rosy hue to flush across Kagome's face.

"Please follow me…" Ai said with a small smile as he shut the door. Kagome followed after the young man obediently as they traveled further into the house. Kagome's eyes roamed around, taking everything in. She found the house to be very beautifully decorated.

There were pictures. Pictures were hung everywhere on the walls. There didn't seem to be any common theme either. They were about all kinds of different things. The one currently catching Kagome's eye, was a delicate pink rose bud.

"These are quite lovely," Kagome commented out of the blue. Something about this whole situation seemed vaguely familiar. Kagome couldn't figure out what it was though. All of the events of the day were meshing together. Whatever memory was trying to get to her now was shadowed by the present.

"In my younger days, I painted often. I got into photography quite recently. My wife enjoys my work quite a lot…" Ai said. He turned to Kagome seemingly to gauge her reaction. The young woman didn't appear fazed. She walked on studying the pictures on the wall. Ai resisted the urge to sigh, but a small smile did manage to slip onto his face.

"I can see why she'd like them. The way you capture the subject of the picture is fantastic. The unique way you colorize things is pretty too. You have a wonderful talent," Kagome continued conversationally. She was enjoying herself, but something still nagged at the back of her mind.

"You wished to ask me some questions?" Ai said.

"Oh right!" Kagome said spinning around to face the young man. She cursed herself inwardly for forgetting her main objective. She needed any information she could get on the past. It could be essential with their final battle with Naraku among other things.

"Perhaps the best place to discuss things would be in the living room," Ai suggested. Kagome nodded in agreement. Once again they headed further off into the house. Something felt off for Kagome. It caused a flurry of butterflies to flutter around in her stomach. She just realized she was feeling far too comfortable for a person traveling around in the home of someone she barely knew. What could this feeling mean?

They entered the living room. This part of the house was lovely as well. A book shelf lined the wall on what side. Some of the books on the shelf appeared incredibly aged and worn. the letters on their cracked bindings light and faded. The room seemed to have a more westernized feel. A fireplace stood tall in the middle of the wall of the room. A single photograph was tipped over on its side above the mantle.

Ai gestured for the couch and Kagome sat down slowly. The young man offered Kagome some tea, and the young woman whole heartedly agreed. Ai left the room through a door that Kagome assumed led to the kitchen. She was left in silence until the sound of crackling thunder broke it. Kagome's gaze turned to the window in the room. There was no sign of rain yet, but she knew it was fast approaching.

Kagome sighed and placed her hands gently in her lap before turning her head back around. Her eyes fell to the coffee table in front of her. A chess board was set up. It seemed as if someone had left it in the midst of the game. Most of the pieces were scrapped up off to the side, laid down to be forgotten. It threw off the rest of the atmosphere of the room. Everything appeared to have a place that it was set to be. The room radiated clean and neat. Yet, here was single part of the room that was in total disarray. Something was very off about the whole thing. Kagome lowered her head to look at it closer.

The board was set up wrong! Kagome had played a few games of chess in her lifetime, and she knew this game was set up entirely incorrectly. A line of black pawns stood on one side of the board; behind them were the black king and queen. The queen was fallen on her side, but the king continued to stand tall. The opposite side of the board was an entirely different sort of story.

Both the white king and queen stood proud. A rook was on the left side of the board. Both knights were positioned on either side of the king and queen, looking as if they're ready to charge into battle. A bishop stood beside one of the knights. Four pawns huddled around the other pieces, seemingly hiding. One of the pawns kept itself in front of the others. Kagome pulled her gaze away from board as Ai stepped back into the room.

"Why is the board set up like this?" Kagome asked curiously. Ai approached the coffee table, setting down the cup of tea he had fetched for Kagome gently onto the table. Ai slowly stood up again and glanced at the chess board. Kagome heard him sigh lightly.

"_She_ must have set it up before she left today," Ai commented with his eyes moving back up to meet Kagome's.

"Who's _she_?" Kagome prodded. Ai's face fell. He sucked in a breath as he wandered towards the fire place. He let the breath out slowly from his mouth before glancing toward the ceiling then back at Kagome. His eyes seemed serious.

"Kagome…do you know who I am?" Ai asked.

"What do you mean?" Kagome questioned. She was completely taken aback. The way Ai was acting was completely different from the first time she met him. It was as if he were an entirely different person. She wasn't sure she liked it.

"Who am I?" Ai said with a bit more urgency than was needed.

"I don't understand…" Kagome said weakly. She decided that maybe this had been a bad idea. She was currently in the house of someone she believed to be going mad. Kagome was starting to become slightly frightened. Ai apparently was displeased by this. He stomped his foot and brought his face briefly into one hand.

"Then I shall show you…" Ai said. He removed his hand from his face. He slowly reached for his opposite hand and fingered the ring on it. The ring was removed and a transformation began to initiate.

Stunning honey-brown eyes turned into a more mesmerizing gold. Black spiky hair grew and changed into long silvery wisps of hair. Rounded ears edged to a point. Unmarred skin began to show the shadows of marks that had faded away. Kagome was glad to be sitting for she was certain she would have fainted on the spot.

"Sesshomaru?" was all the young woman could mutter.

There was a long moment of quiet. Kagome was trying to take everything that was happening. Her mind was teaming with thoughts of all varieties. Sesshomaru stood to the side as he allowed Kagome to collect herself. The young woman seemed to brighten as some realization hit her.

"Better?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome nodded.

"Yes, I am considerably better. I think I've made sense of everything. Guess you could never let go of that castle could you?" Kagome said as she looked up at Sesshomaru with a smile. The western lord was a bit thrown off by Kagome's calm attitude. He had expected much more extreme emotion from her.

"I suppose not…" Sesshomaru replied, "Might I ask why you appear so cheerful?"

"Well, why wouldn't I be happy? I'm about to get all my answers. You can tell me everything I need to know. You'll tell me how we defeat Naraku. You'll tell me what happens to my friends. Oh, there's so much you can tell me…" Kagome said airily with a sparkle in her eye. The journey would end soon, and all would be well.

"It doesn't work like that Kagome," Sesshomaru's voice broke through the young woman's hopeful fantasies.

"What?" Kagome said. Her head whipped around to look at the demon. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Sesshomaru returned the gaze blankly. Kagome stood up from the couch. She set both feet firmly on the ground.

"It is foolish to think I would do such a thing. Do not let the temptation of the knowledge I possess trick you into believing that all shall be handed to you. The powers of time and fate don't work in such a way," Sesshomaru explained. Kagome inched towards the former lord of the west.

Thunder crackled outside again. The storm had traveled closer. The sound of rain clinking against the window permeated the room. Kagome gripped the front of Sesshomaru's shirt tightly in her small fingers. She glanced up at him. Her eyes held passionate fury almost as brutal as the winds beginning to stir outside. Sesshomaru resisted the urge to place his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Foolish…I'm foolish!?!? What about you? You could stop all this madness. If you told me what was to be, so many lives would be saved sooner. If you told me what to do, I could save everyone. So much could be avoided and done away with. You're here now! You could have told me what was to happen even before I had to plunge the depths of that stupid old well. But you didn't!" Kagome angrily shouted as she buried her face into Sesshomaru's shirt. Hot tears burst from her eyes and Kagome choked back sobs. Warm arms encircled Kagome's body.

"The fates would never allow for such a thing to happen. Certain rules must be followed when dealing with the powers of time. Events that occur must happen no matter how gruesome or horrible the outcome might seem. One is never meant to know too much of what their future's hold. The result of such an action could be devastating or compromise the whole of reality…" Sesshomaru told Kagome as his hands made soothing circles on the young woman's back.

Kagome's feelings were mixed. She hated what she heard leave Sesshomaru's mouth, but she was aware of how right he was. Kagome attempted to calm herself. While her mind swirled with thoughts, a part of her was surprised by how comforting Sesshomaru was being. His gentle touch helped subside her burning tears. Another realization struck her as she lay in his arms.

It was that fact that struck her with the thought. Sesshomaru currently possessed two arms, instead of one. Kagome loosened her grip on the front of Sesshomaru's shirt. She supposed it was just another secret of time as to how he had obtained his other arm back. Kagome bit her lip and wrenched herself out of Sesshomaru's hold.

Kagome staggered back away from the demon lord. Sesshomaru lowered his arms to his side. Kagome shook her head as tears began to come again. This was too much. Kagome wanted to scream. She wanted to shriek until her throat was sore and raw. She wanted the world to make sense. She wanted all her answers bundled up and wrapped prettily. As Sesshomaru had said, things just didn't work that way.

"It's not fair! It just isn't fair…" Kagome cried as she stomped her foot in an almost childish manner. Sesshomaru had watched as Kagome stewed in her thoughts. He had been trying to gauge her reaction. After her outburst, he approached her again.

"I am sorry that I was unable to help you," Sesshomaru said softly as he reached over to hold Kagome. The young woman smacked his hand away. Salty tears trickled down her face and a deep frown had set into her features. Kagome glared at Sesshomaru.

"Don't touch me! It wasn't that you were unable to help, you just refused to. I wasted my whole day searching for answers that can never be found… I… I hate you! I hate all of this!" Kagome screamed before dashing out of the room. Sesshomaru followed closely after.

Kagome turned the knob and ripped the front door open. A gust of wind blew rain right into the front entryway. Kagome covered her face with her arm and trudged into the rain. Sesshomaru could only watch as Kagome reached the bottom of the steps. When Kagome was certain of not falling, she took off running.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru shouted, but to no avail. The black-haired teen disappeared as she turned the corner of the street. Sesshomaru stood like a statue in the doorway. His eyes appeared guilty as the rain fell upon him. Time had to run its course. There was nothing he could do.

Sesshomaru quietly shut the door so as not to let any more rain into his house. He clicked the door locked. Sesshomaru placed his hand on the cool wood of door. After a moment of staring off into nothingness, he removed his hand. The lord of the west made his way back into the living room.

The tea he had gotten for Kagome still lay on the coffee table next to the unfinished chess game. The liquid in the cup long since cooled. Sesshomaru stepped slowly to the fireplace. His fingers brushed against the fallen picture frame on the mantle. He took it in his hand and gazed down at it. The smiling face of the woman who just left in tears stared up at him. It hurt, but it had to be done.

"Kagome…"

* * *

The journey home was long and agonizing. Kagome didn't appreciate the stares of the other passengers on the subway train. Her black hair was matted down on her head from the rain outside. Her whole body was soaked to the bone. She shivered as the doors to the train opened letting a cool breeze float in. She still had two stops until she could get home.

She was so angry with everything that had happened. She had gotten some of her answers through her meeting with Sesshomaru, but none that really mattered. The tears on her cheeks were hidden amongst the water droplets sticking to her face.

Time passed by and soon enough Kagome's stop came. The train slowed to a stop and the doors swung open. Kagome stood up and headed out. Other people in the station that had been caught in the rain gave her looks of sympathy. Kagome ignored them.

She still had a ways to go. When Kagome emerged from the station, the skies had been to clear. The rain had stopped and only a few dark clouds were scattered in the sky. Kagome made her way down the street. A cool breeze was her only company as she made her way along. A shiver shook Kagome's body.

It was close to evening now. Dazzling hues of orange and red filled the sky as the sun made its descent back down to Earth. Kagome's shoes smacked against puddles as she continued onward. Shops passed her. Happy little faces shining out the windows from all the tiny advertisements and toys. Kagome ignored them too.

Finally, Kagome reached her neighborhood. She was drawing closer to home. Kagome wondered why it even mattered now. Why did it matter? She had gained nothing on this day. She had gained absolutely nothing. She had wasted her time. Time…

Kagome kicked a pile of leaves in one of her neighbor's lawns. She hated time. There were so many aspects of time. You could waste it. You could kill it. You could watch it fly right by you. Time was a fickle thing. This time? That time? What did it matter? Time had too many rules. Kagome hated time.

Kagome reached the steps of the shrine. She made her ascent. Kagome's only focus at that point was not to slip on the stone steps. Her eyes were focused on the ground. When she reached the top, Kagome's eyes shot up. She thought she saw something.

She could have sworn she did. It had just been a quick blur in the corner of her vision. Kagome eyed her surrounding area. She couldn't see anything that was amiss nor could she sense anything. During Kagome's observation, she spotted something sitting on the front doorstep.

Kagome slowly walked towards it. It was package. It was a simple brown package. Kagome bent down to pick it up. Whoever had left it, made sure to keep it out of the rain as best they could. There was nothing written on the outside of it. Kagome unwrapped the tie that kept the package closed. She peeked inside.

From what she could see, it looked to be an old book of some kind. Kagome dumped the contents of the package into her other hand. She dropped the packaging on the ground and studied the book. However it turned out not to be a book, but more of a very old journal.

The journal looked like it would fade to dust at any moment. The leather binding the book together was cracked and rough. A lock kept the journal shut tight. The few pieces of paper sticking out of the journal seemed crisp and crinkled. Kagome vaguely wondered how old it actually was, and she also wondered why anyone would drop it off here. Was it part her grandfather's collections by chance?

Kagome messed with the lock on the journal, but it wouldn't budge. She searched the empty package for a key in case she had missed it, but to no avail. Who would give a journal to someone with no key? Kagome noticed one of the papers in the journal sticking fairly far out. It looked like a letter. She gently inched the letter out of the tight bindings. She flipped the letter over to see who it was addressed to. Kagome almost stopped breathing.

"That's not possible…" Kagome said in a low whisper.

Although Kagome said it was impossible, the evidence stared her in the face. The letter was addressed to her. The browned time-worn letter belonged to her. Curiosity got the best of Kagome and she gently began to open the letter.

Her fingers worked at the seal and she pulled it open slowly. Kagome slipped the note from within onto her other palm. Kagome set the envelope of the letter onto the package so it would not be damaged. She licked her lips. Now was the moment of truth…

Kagome unfolded the letter with as much delicacy as she could muster. What lay inside the letter was even more startling than even receiving it. Kagome's eyes widened and she almost dropped the letter in surprise. She hadn't even gotten to read the first sentence. All she had seen was the date, but I didn't. It didn't made sense.

This old worn letter had to have been centuries old, but the date said it was written…on what would be next Thursday in her time. A letter from the past that was from the future?

* * *

_**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize for my absence. I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter. Life has been pretty busy, and I'm aware I've used that excuse before. It changes nothing. Lol. NaNoWriMo helped bring back some inspiration to work on this story again. Review if you will. Till next time, my most precious readers. **_


	14. Letter

"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. "– Benjamin Franklin

* * *

The warm water was soothing as it played against her skin. A nimble hand reached forward and shut the faucet off. The flow of water was cut short and the body in the bath leaned back. Cerulean eyes fell to the fogging mirror; the mix of hot and cold in the room creating condensation on the smooth reflecting glass. While the prospect of a warm bath seemed relaxing, Kagome remained unnerved.

Earlier Kagome had been unable to look more at the contents of the letter. She had taken too long a pause at thought of the date on the letter. Her mother had caught her standing in the rain and demanded that she come inside immediately. Kagome had complained that it was absolutely important that she be given a chance to study the letter as she was being dragged inside the shrine, but her mother refused and insisted she take a bath else she might catch a cold.

Needless to say Kagome lost the battle of what was more important when it came between the letter and her health. Once inside her home, Kagome had been stripped of her soaking clothes and forced into the bathroom. Her mother had been nice enough to allow a few seconds to set the letter and journal safely on her bed.

Kagome unplugged the drain of the bath. She slowly stepped out and grabbed a towel off the rack. She wrapped the towel around herself and walked over to the mirror. She took her hand and began to rub it against the glass to make a small circle. Kagome bent her head to look at herself in the mirror. Ebony hair stuck flat on her face and her cheeks were still a bit flushed from just getting out of the bath. Kagome picked up a brush from the counter and started to brush it through her hair as she exited the bathroom.

Kagome headed into her room and straight to her closet. She quickly sifted through her choice of clothing and picked something comfortable to wear. She really didn't care too much about fashion at the moment. The thought of the letter was far more important at the moment. Kagome slipped into some gray sweatpants and a baggy light blue t-shirt. She tossed her towel in the hamper inside her closet. When that was all done, Kagome practically dove towards her bed.

Curiosity had been itching at her since the letter and journal's discovery. What could it possibly mean? Kagome had put a pillow in the corner where her bed and the wall connected. She propped her back up on the pillow and brought her knees to her chest. Kagome now held the letter gently in her hand. The journal still sat at the end of Kagome's bed.

This was the moment of truth. Kagome's finger inched at the edge of the envelope and tried to open it as gently as she could. When dealing with such an old object, it was best to be delicate. She pulled the letter out and un-creased it. Kagome's eyes fell to paper. There was something familiar about the handwriting, but at the same time it was slightly off.

_Dear Kagome,_

_If you have just received this letter then harder times are just ahead. I'm sorry to have to tell you this news, but it must be said. The important thing to remember as you journey ahead is to not give up. It might sound clichéd or worn out, but it still holds true._

Kagome frowned as she read this. She knew already that the worse had yet to come, but to hear it from someone else was a smack of reality. The paper crinkled in her hand as she moved it closer to her face. The writing looked to have been written quickly, so it was somewhat hard to decipher at points.

_Your fight with Naraku draws near. I have given you this journal to help. The __**key**__ lies in a red envelope that is sticking out in the back of the journal. You must not open it until the right time. You will know when that time is, but until then do not give into temptation. You will feel the urge to look ahead, but I again beg of you not to do so. The Sesshomaru of this era was right to tell you there is no path or cheat code to get you to the end._

A breath caught in Kagome's throat. For this person the conversation between her and Sesshomaru had long passed, but the events of today were still fresh in Kagome's mind. The cruel reality shoved in her face. The hopes of finding some clue to the end…crushed. A tear escaped her eye, but it was quickly wiped away.

_You may seem put off by his words, but he told you those things for a reason. He knows what is to come and he strongly believes in you. All you need to do is believe in him as well. Let your story take its course._

A curiosity was growing inside Kagome. Who was this person that knew her so intimately? Why were they trying to help her? Who were they that they requested that she take faith in Sesshomaru? And herself…

_Another thing I request of you is that no-one else must know of the journal. It would be troublesome and could possibly alter the course of history. That is all I have for you now. Remember not to open the journal until it is time!_

_Sincerely,_

_Me._

Kagome folded the letter and gently nudged it back into the envelope. She placed it beside her and then she sat up on her knees. She flopped onto her stomach and brushed her hands forward along the sheets of her bed till her fingers found the edges of the journal. Kagome pulled the journal to her.

She sat back on her knees again and simply stared at the journal a moment. There it was the red envelope. Within in the simple red paper laid a key that could open up time itself and give her all the answers she ever wanted. Another thought came to Kagome.

"Do not give into temptation…" Kagome said lighter than a whisper. She would have to wait. Would she? Would she be able to hold back her burning curiosity and longing desire to make it to that final finish line? Kagome decided she would put all her trust into an anonymous writer if that was what it took. She would trust in the letter and only open the journal when the right moment came.

A loud bang startled Kagome. Her eyes flew to her window. A furious Inuyasha stared back at her. Kagome flung a pillow onto the journal and slipped the letter into her pocket as she stood up from her bed. Another warning in the letter filtered through her mind like bold giant glaring red letters on a solid black billboard. _No-one else must know of the journal's existence_. Kagome walked to the window and opened it up.

"Where have you been?" Inuyasha growled angrily. Kagome stepped back as Inuyasha practically flew through the window. His feet landed with a thud against the floor and he dropped Kagome's yellow back-pack on the ground. She had left it behind when she went to look for Sesshomaru. Kagome breathed in deeply and then let a slow breath out. Inuyasha was growing impatient, "Well, explain yourself wench!"

"I went off by myself to find out the truth about the piece of cloth we found after we battled those soldiers," Kagome answered truthfully. Cerulean watched as Inuyasha's shoulders tensed and then started to shake uncontrollably. He seemed terribly angry.

"So that's why I can smell that bastard…" Inuyasha said darkly.

"What?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha eyed her down. The gold of his eyes appeared to darken with each passing second. Inuyasha approached Kagome and tugged on her wrist. Kagome stumbled forward till she fell into Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha buried his face into her neck. A low growl rumbled down his chest.

"His scent is all over you," Inuyasha said in a tone that sounded as if he were spitting acid. Inuyasha's grip tightened around her. Kagome tensed as a million different thoughts and memories flashed through her mind. She had gotten rather intimately close with Sesshomaru in the past days.

The demon lord had saved her from a terrible new foe. He had buried his claws into her shoulder in a blind fury. He had caressed her gently as they…kissed. She had held him tightly as they flew against the night sky. She was held by his future self as she cried with lost hope in his arms. If Inuyasha could still smell him, apparently even the rain could not wash away his presence…

"That may be true, but at least I was able to learn something because I put forth the effort to try," Kagome said softly into Inuyasha's hair. She felt his cheek brush against her neck before he stepped back. Kagome got lost in gold once more and she felt as the tension in her body slowly dissipated. Inuyasha didn't seem completely satisfied with her answer, but he didn't seem say anything more about the matter.

"Everyone was worried sick about you. I swear to Kami if I have to listen to that brat whine one more time about his 'mommy', I might lose it. Sango wasn't too happy about your little disappearance either. So get your ass into gear and let's go…" Inuyasha said with the usual edge his voice always had.

A twinge of guilt took hold of Kagome's heart as she thought of Shippo and her dear friend. She hadn't wanted to abandon them, but she was so sure she could get the answers she had needed. What she had hoped to do was help them all. She wanted to be worth something. A sad smile came to Kagome's face. If the letter's words rang too, it would all end soon.

"Alright, I'll get ready. Go downstairs and ask my mom to go make some Ramen or something. It'll take me a minute to get ready," Kagome said. Inuyasha unconsciously licked his lips at the thought of Ramen. He headed to the bedroom door.

"Fine. Just don't take all damn day," Inuyasha muttered before slipping through the doorway. Kagome inched towards the door and then shut it close. She reached to her back pocket and took out the letter. She studied it for a moment before walking back to her bed. She removed the pillow covering the worn journal and took it gently in her hands.

"I wish you could tell me more of what's to come, oh mysterious _me_…"

* * *

_**A rather short chapter for me, and I apologize for that. I wish to grace you with a new chapter in the near future, but only time will tell when that will be. I hope you enjoyed this chapter no matter how long it may have turned out to be. Please review if you can. =3**_


	15. Secrets

The future is an opaque mirror. Anyone who tries to look into it sees nothing but the dim outlines of an old and worried face. ~Jim Bishop

….

A large fire crackled in the midst of the forest. An excruciating day of traveling had preceded it. The ones who had started the fire were tired and worn. They had to make up for lost time. One of the travelers had held up the rest of the group unintentionally. She was now explaining why she allowed for such a thing to happen.

"That's as much as I know for now…" Kagome finished. After Kagome's speech about _most_ of what had happened to her stirred up discussion, she had skimmed a bit on some details. Some things were just a bit too personal to mention. She was also certain that Inuyasha might not understand the fact she had…kissed his half-brother among other things.

"Inuyasha, why didn't you tell us about this other relative of yours? I believe Kagome suggested his name was Kano?" Miroku inquired. The half-demon among the group seemed rather displeased with the simple question. However when one thought back on Inuyasha's past, it wasn't too much of a mystery to figure out why the idea of relatives was a rather touchy subject.

"I didn't really spend that much time with my _father's side of the family. _So, sorry I wasn't so damn informative of people I didn't even know I was related too. It's not like I would've cared either way. Or if they would of…" Inuyasha said plainly. His amber-colored eyes were focused on the fire with a new level of intensity. Red-clad arms crossed snuggly against his torso in a protective fashion. Kagome felt another wave of guilt wash over her. The guilt grew when his gaze took a turn to Kagome's direction across the dancing flames.

"For now we shouldn't have to worry too much about this Kano anyway" Sango began, "What we really need to focus on is Naraku and his 'golden era'. The fact he is somehow able to manipulate high ranking demons into a plan to eradicate humans is bad enough, but we're still unsure of what his real objective is,"

Everyone took time to pause and contemplate what Sango had said; even Shippo had a serious expression etched onto his youthful features. Kagome brushed her hand against the ground as she thought about it. Her fingers twirled in the dirt creating spiral designs in the earth. The more the group thought, the more tension filled the air. It was almost choking them.

"We're forgetting another important thing about Naraku that we had yet to take in account," Miroku said suddenly. The rings of his staff jingled as he shifted his position. He now had everyone's undivided attention. When Miroku didn't speak up immediately about what he meant, Inuyasha grew impatient.

"What are we forgetting?" Inuyasha growled. Suddenly Kagome shot up from her spot. Her eyes were wide and a hand covered her mouth; stifling her gasp. Miroku nodded towards Kagome. He realized she must understand what he was hinting at.

"Oh god…" Kagome said breathlessly. Inuyasha's head swung back and forth as he tried to understand what exactly was happening. It was at this point and time that Sango caught on. Her face contorted into a frown at the realization.

"Kagura…" Sango said simply.

"Kagura?" Inuyasha said irritably, "Why do we have to worry about her? She's dead isn't she? I don't get what you all are going on about,"

"The fact she's dead is exactly what we're trying to say Inuyasha. We've killed one of Naraku's strongest henchmen. We've taken one of his biggest assets. He's unlikely to take such a thing lightly. However, it's been a while since the incident and we've received no repercussions. That's highly suspicious…" Miroku explained.

Inuyasha finally got it, but it didn't mean he was happy about it. The Hanyou scrambled to his feet and began to pace. This new information was not good at all. It was true. Something should have happened after Naraku took such a huge blow like losing Kagura. The fact that nothing had happened at all was more worrisome. It meant Naraku was planning something big.

Kagome had calmed down a little by this time. She was now sitting on the ground once more. Her eyes staring blankly into the fire. Naraku was becoming more dangerous. It was now at a point where they had no way of knowing how he'd strike. Everyone's nerves were now drawn tighter. Thoughts floating in the air.

"The golden era!" Sango said suddenly.

"What about it?" Inuyasha said as he paused in his pacing. Sango's outburst had startled all in the group. Eyes were pointed in her direction. All were waiting for an answer. Sango breathed deeply and prepared to speak. She had a theory that seemed plausible. Yet, a small part of her hoped it would be proved false.

"I still am unsure of Naraku's main objective, but I have an idea of what he's trying to use the golden era for. He lost one of his greatest threats against us right? However, think about it guys. Who did he lose Kagura to?" Sango said, her eyes falling downcast. Kagome's fingers tangled in her skirt. Her grip on the fabric growing tight enough to turn her knuckles white.

"I killed Kagura…" Kagome said softly.

"If my assumption is correct. Then the golden era was made for her. It was made for Kagome," Sango said. The older woman's eyes traveled up again. They appeared troubled by what had been spoken. She knew that the possibility about her idea being true was high. Inuyasha stepped forward. He made his way until he stood directly in front of the demon hunter.

"Why would the golden era be for Kagome?" Inuyasha questioned. His amber eyes were sharp. All these things they talked about where coming too fast at him. He was having trouble keeping up. Too many things were coming into the picture all at once.

"It makes sense if you think about it. Naraku goes on about the 'Golden Era'. Other demons begin to pick up on it. The idea is very appealing to some. It's easy to manipulate anyone into thinking they'd be gaining riches and power with this move. The stage is set. All Naraku has to do is sit and watch. He may have lost his strongest player, but he'll win anyway. Kagome is a Miko, but she's still human," Sango explained.

"That means Naraku can continue on with whatever he's already doing, and let the demons do the real dirty work. If Kagome is dead then Naraku's accomplished two goals. He's got his vengeance for losing Kagura and gotten to take out someone important to Inuyasha," Miroku continued darkly.

A silence enveloped the group after all was said and done. The only sound to be heard was the crackling of the fire. The group had all their answers now, but the knowledge only proved to make them feel empty. Kagome didn't care if she appeared weak at this moment anymore.

A sob shook the young woman's body…

….

_The glass of the mirror fogged and the picture within faded away. Tiny hands lowered the mirror in her hold closer to the ground. Her eyes remained blank as a light breeze blew at her short white hair. The petals of the tiny blossoms in her hair fluttered in the wind as well. The seemingly young girl holding the mirror studied the person in front of her._

_ "You seem displeased with what the looking glass has shown you," she stated softly. The figure in front of the girl slid their fingers down the glass of the mirror. Their face showed no sign of what they were thinking. A moment of silence followed the action until the figure decided to speak._

_ "I am not displeased. I am merely surprised by the fact that Inuyasha's little group has managed to grow wiser" the figure answered, "What do you think about this new development?"_

_ "Naraku does not expect me to think anything," the white-haired girl answered truthfully. The other figure removed their hand from the mirror to lay at their side. Deep brown eyes scanned over the girl holding the mirror. The girl stared back wordlessly._

_ "I suppose that answer would be expected of one of Naraku's tools. He tends to use beings like you often," the other figure said plainly. The white-haired girl twisted her mirror closer to herself. Her blank eyes shimmered with something for a second before fading to blackness again._

_ "You realize that Naraku plans to use you as well," the white-haired girl said coolly. _

_ The other figure showed no reaction to the comment. She simply ran a hand through her long black tresses as she thought about something. When it seemed that this other woman had come to some conclusion she prepared to leave. She did not get too far before a small hand suddenly grabbed onto her red pants. Deep brown eyes glanced back._

_ "What is it?" she asked. The white-haired girl continued to hold on to the fabric of her red pants. Those black blank eyes from earlier stared up into her face. The girl's other small hand still clutched to the mirror._

_ "Where are you going?" the white-haired girl asked._

_ "I am simply leaving this place. I have gained nothing from this meeting, but the knowledge that Inuyasha's group has figured out most of your master's plans. What reason do I have to stay?" the other woman answered, leaving off with another question._

_ The white-haired girl released the pant-leg of the other woman before stepping back. She steadied her mirror again as she brought it up. New images began to swirl into view. They were scenes of the past weeks coming into focus._

_ "Your goal is to get to Inuyasha, yes? In order to do so, you also plan on disposing of the girl called Kagome? I have information that will help you get rid of the girl faster…" the white-haired girl said cryptically._

_ "What information do you have?" the other woman asked, slightly curious._

_ "I shall show you images of Kagome's recent interactions with the one known as the Lord of the West. Use the knowledge of these visions as you see fit,"_

…_._

The forest was quiet as the two women walked deeper into it. Kagome sighed as she held her things closer to her body. Sango and she were headed to take a bath, but it was harder than normal for Inuyasha to allow such a thing. Everyone had been on edge since the discussion three days before. Inuyasha seemed the most shaken up about it. Kagome didn't know why. She was the one in danger…

"You okay?" Sango asked, breaking the silence. Kagome turned her head to look at her close friend. Sango had been very kind to her throughout all of what had happened. As a professional demon hunter, the group felt it was alright if the girls went out alone as long as Sango was present. Kagome felt a little bitter at the fact they didn't trust in her skills enough. Yet, she preferred Sango's company either way.

"I'm mostly fine. My mind has just been focused on everything that's happened," Kagome answered as they finally reached the spring. Sango eyed Kagome after she answered. She then nodded in understanding. The two began to get undressed.

Soon enough they settled into the water. The warmth the water brought was only mildly comforting. It didn't completely cure fried nerves. The sun was fading in the background as the sun set. The quiet of the forest likely came from the mystic time before days end and nights beginning.

Kagome breathed deeply before leaning back onto the bank. She gazed up through the tree-tops to the last bit of sunlight shining through. The sky appeared to be orange with light patches of pink. Kagome had always found sunsets to be rather beautiful. They were even beautiful seen through the branches of a tree. Kagome brought her eyes back down to look in front of her. Sango appeared to be studying her closely. Kagome felt slightly uncomfortable by the scrutinizing gaze. She gave Sango a questioning look.

"I'm sorry…" Sango said before turning her head quickly to the side, "It's just that something has been nagging at my brain for a while since you told us what had happened to you,"

Kagome blinked. She couldn't imagine what Sango could be thinking about. Kagome still felt a bit guilty that her close friend didn't know the whole truth of her adventures with Sesshomaru. She was a bit worried to find out exactly what was bothering Sango. Kagome swallowed and then came to a decision.

"What is it that's bothering you?" Kagome asked. Sango sighed, lifting a hand out of the water. Tiny rivulets of water trickled through the older woman's fingers. There was a pause before her answer.

"In all honesty, I just still don't understand why Lord Sesshomaru would bother to save you from Kano," Sango said. Whatever Kagome had expected Sango to say, it wasn't that. The young woman was unsure how to reply. Kagome dunked her head in the water for a second before resurfacing. She pretended to busy herself with her hair while she thought.

"I don't know why…" Kagome answered. The young miko refused to face her friend directly as she scrubbed shampoo into her hair. She was afraid about what her face might show. She also really didn't know an answer to what Sango asked. It was just as a mystery to her as it was for the demon hunter.

"It doesn't make sense though. Sesshomaru has tried to kill us on more than one occasion. Well he's mostly tried to kill Inuyasha; however, to us for the most part he's an enemy. True he traveled with us briefly, but that was strange in itself" Sango said.

"Is it really that surprising that Sesshomaru saved me?" Kagome said softly. The young woman was gently brushing her fingers through her hair. Inky black strands straightened out as she worked her hands through them. Kagome leaned back far enough to was out some of the shampoo from her hair. A frown was set on her face.

"Have I upset you somehow?" Sango asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Kagome uttered as she pulled her head back up from the water, "Why would I be upset?"

Sango hovered hand over the top of the water. Her fingers created thousands of ripples along the water line. Sango breathed in deeply. She had Kagome's full attention now. The older woman looked up to stare directly into Kagome's eyes.

"You seemed slightly defensive about what I said," Sango said.

"I wasn't defensive. I just don't believe that Sesshomaru is as cruel as we make him out to be," Kagome replied as she dabbed conditioner into her hair now. As soon as Sango had locked eyes on her, she did her best to avoid them. Sango was taken aback by Kagome's response.

"For you to say something like that, it makes me wonder if you didn't tell us anything else that might have happened," Sango said concernedly. Kagome dunked her head into the water again as she washed out the last of the conditioner. Once that was done the miko started to get out of the water.

"I'm done bathing…" Kagome said simply. Sango sighed and hurried to get out of the water herself. She was not satisfied with the way their conversation had abruptly ended. The demon hunter knew that there would be another discussion sometime soon whether the younger woman liked it or not.

Kagome had wrapped a towel around herself as she looked for a smaller one in her bag to hold up her hair. As Kagome shuffled through her bag, her fingers brushed against something rough. Her eyes shot to the journal innocently resting inside her bag. Kagome's hand retracted quickly and she turned to see if Sango had noticed anything. The demon hunter was quietly drying herself off nearby. She was none the wiser…

Kagome turned her attention back to the journal before pushing it aside to grab the other towel. Once she had the smaller towel wrapped securely around her hair, Kagome shut her bag to hide what lay inside. Kagome realized she had been close to revealing the journal, which would have not ended well.

The young woman was already straining her friendship with Sango by not revealing information about what had transpired between her and Sesshomaru; she couldn't imagine what would happen if she revealed she was hiding as something as significant as the journal. The old book with papers and envelopes was still a mystery even to her. Who knew what secrets may lie inside…?

"I wonder..." Kagome said quietly. Her eyes snapped over to Sango again. The other woman was finished drying off and was preparing to get dressed. Kagome took a deep breath. She decided to take a risk. Who knew? Maybe it was time to open the journal? With that excuse in mind, Kagome opened her bag once more.

She checked to make sure Sango was still distracted as she reached a hand in. The first thing her fingers was a red piece of paper. She slipped it out of the pages of the journal slowly. After a moment or two, Kagome turned her attention to Sango again. She was still getting ready. Perfect.

Kagome pulled her hand out of the bag. She gently began to unfold the red piece of paper. This was the moment of truth, so to speak. When Kagome's eyes caught sight on what was written on the paper a loud squeak escaped her. Sango was immediately on alert.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Sango asked as she headed towards Kagome. The young miko quickly shuffled her bag close and crushed the red piece of paper in her hand. Her eyes were wide and her heart was pumping fast inside her chest.

"It's nothing, I promise. I think I just saw a bug or something. All it did was startle me," Kagome explained. Sango didn't look completely convinced by Kagome's excuse, but she let it go. Soon enough Sango went back to getting fully dressed.

Kagome unclenched her hand and the red piece of paper tumbled to the ground. She eyed it curiously. The mystery of the journal instead of being solved had only grown more mysterious. It was starting to get to Kagome. It was as if the journal itself knew what move she would make before it even happened. The red piece of paper was proof enough of that. Its words were obviously meant for her. Those letters in tiny bold print.

'_No Cheating'_

…

_**Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. There was quite a bit of talking, but I assure you it has a purpose. Review PLEASE! =D**_


	16. Caught in the Dark

Various documents were laid out on the table. A pair of hands half-heartedly flipped through the papers. However instead of focusing on the words on the page, the reader of the documents had something entirely different on his mind. After a while Sesshomaru gave up the guise of being studious. She just wouldn't leave his thoughts. Well… _they_ wouldn't leave his thoughts, the girl who he lost and the new one he had only recently gained in his life.

When his brother's companion left him in the middle of the night, deep in the forest, it had only made him more curious of her than he already was. What had caused her urgency to leave? Why not try to reconnect with her other companions? Where was she going? What did she need to do? Why did he care?

"My lord…" a voice broke through Sesshomaru's musings. It was one of the workers helping to construct the castle, "We'll soon be laying the last stone to the palace. We're nearly finished"

Sesshomaru sat silently for a moment. The worker stood nervously by the entryway. The western Lord was taking the time to fully absorb what finishing the castle meant. It had taken so long to build this place… He had had to roam across his lands for so long without a true home. Now he had finally succeeded in acquiring a permanent residence. A castle built on the ruins of what was his father's glory…

"Good work. I will venture out soon to survey the final touches," Sesshomaru said curtly. The worker nodded, and then bowed lowly before exiting.

Sesshomaru took his time in getting ready to leave. He stacked his documents neatly on his desk, and pushed in his seat. He then took slow languid steps to the front of his new castle. There was no need to rush. The castle would not be going away any time soon. He would make absolute certain of that. Sesshomaru stopped before reaching the main entryway.

He had paused to stare at the blank expanse of wall that the Miko had stared at so intently the other day. She had acted as if something vital was missing. Her eyes glazed over in deep thought… Was there really something missing there? She had also questioned the existence of a garden. It had all been very strange.

Sesshomaru continued on. He would wonder about that strange girl and her strange actions later. He had no time to think about her. He really had no reason to think about her. Sesshomaru let out a low sigh as he eyed the cobblestone steps that had finally all been neatly laid. His eyes then traveled over to the stone dog statues. Everything seemed to be in perfect order. Suddenly one of the guardsmen came running up to Sesshomaru hurriedly.

"My lord there's an intruder on the outskirts of the castle. We have yet to attack because the intruder seems human in appearance but the scent…it's off" the guardsman said. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He had a suspicion as to who this intruder could be.

"I shall see to this intruder. There is no need for any other assistance" and with that, Sesshomaru was on his way once more. He found the intruder lurking just outside the line of trees surrounding the castle. She stood there looking as if she had been waiting for him. Her scent was rather strange. It was a stench laced with the smell of dirt, clay, and death. It was a rather unpleasant smell.

"So you came…" she said coolly.

"I can only wonder as to why you are here, undead miko. What do you want of me?" Sesshomaru asked curiously. Her stare was blank, and it unsettled him on a certain level. They were almost soulless like the light had gone out completely. Kikyo moved closer to Sesshomaru.

"This is a warning of sorts. I have only come to say that I know where your heart truly lays, Sesshomaru" Kikyo said simply. Sesshomaru did not falter, but he eyed the undead woman strangely.

"What do you mean by saying such a thing?" came Sesshomaru's response. An eerie smile flickered onto Kikyo's face. She placed her palm on her cheek and let it rest there. She then closed her eyes for a mere moment before letting them slowly come open once more.

"Through means of my own, I have discovered the budding relationship between you and my reincarnation. I've come to warn you that she's in danger," Kikyo said as she moved her hand from her face. Sesshomaru was more intrigued by this information than disturbed by it.

"By whatever means you have acquired this information, you will find that you are mistaken. None of my…loyalties lay with my half-brother's companion," Sesshomaru said. He had chosen his words carefully. He didn't trust this woman. He had no reason to trust her.

"Whether my information about my reincarnation and you is correct or not, is not what one should be concerned with…" Kikyo said seriously, "She is in danger"

Sesshomaru was unsure how to take this information. Questions were bubbling up inside him. Kikyo continued to watch his reaction. She held him to the spot with her eyes alone. Those blank eyes darkening with a new intensity. Something began to tighten in Sesshomaru's chest.

"Why tell me this? Why not tell Inuyasha? What do you gain by sharing this warning with me?" Sesshomaru shot off one questions after another.

The eerie smile from before made its way back to her lips, and Kikyo moved her feet to face a different direction. She then began to walk away. Sesshomaru reached out to stop her; she did so of her own accord. Her gaze shifted back towards Sesshomaru one last time.

"It is for me to know and for you to see," were her final words before disappearing behind the trees.

* * *

Kagome had taken to wearing the key around her neck, hidden away under her shirt of course. It merely blended in with the other necklace she wore to hold the jewel shards. The group had been traveling for a couple of days now in search of the last shards.

The hunt was more solemn now. It was most likely because they all knew they were coming towards the end. They were running out of time. There was no putting off the inevitable battle with Naraku. Each mile took them closer to the 11th hour.

"Do you smell that?" Inuyasha suddenly said. The group paused and watched the hanyou as he continued to sniff at the air, "Smoke…"

"A fire?" Miroku questioned. Shippo jumped off Kagome's shoulder and looked up at Inuyasha seriously.

"I smell blood too!" the younger demon exclaimed. Inuyasha bolted off in the direction the smells were coming from. The group hurried along behind him as fast as they could. Sango rode along on Kiara as Miroku and Kagome pushed their legs to the limit.

Kagome could feel her legs begin to burn. Her breath was ragged and her throat stung as she tried to breathe in. This became even harder when they finally reached a clearing filled with smoke. Black smoke billowed everywhere. It clogged the sky. Everyone slowed down.

Sango flung her _hirakaitsu at the smoke to clear a pathway. It was mostly effective. The group could now see where the smoke originated. It came from a village. Or at least what was once a village. The sight was sickening. Kagome bile rise in her throat. She glanced over at Sango who seemed almost haunted by what she saw._

_ There had been a slaughter. Bodies littered the ground. Blood flowed like a million different streams down every crook and cranny in the dried dirt. Faces cast forever in looks of agony were seen on some of the fallen. Their eyes glazed over in a glassy sheen. Whatever had hit the town showed no mercy. No one had been saved._

_ Everyone one was tense as they stared at the carnage. Then Inuyasha's head snapped up sharply. He stared deeper into the smoke. It was then the group knew that this wasn't over. Whatever had done this to these people was still here, lurking just where they couldn't see. Dark silhouettes began to merge into the haze created by the smoke. At first they could see one or two then three or four, and then even more._

_ "An army…" _

_ No one was sure who said it, they were all focused on the approaching shadow figures ahead, but they all knew it had to be true. The silhouettes began to take true form as they exited the smoke. The group recognized the uniforms immediately. Kagome felt her heart drop as she recognized who stood towards the front, leading the way._

_ "Why if it isn't my uncle's shame?" said a dark silky voice. His gold eyes were piercing and sharp as he seemingly looked right into their souls. More and more soldiers continued to march in unison behind him. It was a rather intimidating display._

_ "You must be Kano," Inuyasha bit out with a sneer._

_ "Oh. So you know who I am. Can't decide if I should feel honored or not by this recognition. Then again… my name is being spoken through the lips of a worthless pus filled abomination," Kano said icily. _

_ Inuyasha growled in rage. He pulled Tetsusaiga violently from his sheath, revealing its true form. Miroku gripped his staff tightly. Sango raised her weapon high into the air. Shippo was ready with any trick he could pull. Kagome readied her bow. They prepared to fight. Kano let out a rough cackle._

_ "What is so damn funny?" Inuyasha managed to bark out. Kano gave a toothy grin, his fangs glistening with the firelight. He held up his hand and the soldiers behind him stopped at attention. It grew momentarily still._

_ "Do you truly expect to beat me? Look at how pathetic you all are. The apparent leader of this little pack a hanyou? Then he's backed up by three powerless pitiful humans, a cat, and finally a mere child. I could kill you all myself, but then what fun would my soldiers have?" Kano said confidently._

_ "You're a bastard!" Inuyasha yelled as he charged toward Kano and his army fearlessly. Kano seemed unmoved by this act of bravery. He raised his arm into the air and snapped his fingers. The soldiers began to rush past him._

_ "Kill them all except for the one we need!" Kano commanded._

_ Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga at a large group of soldiers. When the light dissipated, there was a large gap where the soldiers had once stood. However, many others began to fill their place. Sango and Kiara worked at another corner. Kiara snarled and clawed at anything in front of her while Sango did her best at taking out as many soldiers as she could. Miroku made sure that his friends were out of harm's way as he removed his prayer beads. Kagome struggled as a she did her best to fend off the demons. Her holy powers were doing some damage, but they apparently not enough. Something struck her from behind and then…_

_ everything went dark._


End file.
